Queen's Run
by TheValiantOne117
Summary: When the Chaos and Sol Emeralds are forced together, Sonic and Blaze are thrown through a rip in time and space into another universe, where female fighters riddle the world. There they join some new friends across the the continent to find the scattered gems, and help get to Gynos, to challenge the Queen's Blade tournament. Rated M for some adult situations between QB characters.
1. Chapter 1: Wandering Beginnings

**(AN: This admittedly bizarre concept has been in my head for some time, so I wanted to try it out. Thanks for taking the time to at least take a look, for if you're reading this, then that's what you're doing. Reviews welcomed as long as they are helpful. If you continue past this, then you have my gratitude. :) ****)**

Leaf Storm. A forest full of lush wildlife and plants, disturbed the sudden injection of metal and destruction. All thanks to the fat, prudish man piloting a colossal metallic monster, standing before two lone fighters, ready to try and take him down. Side by side, the cat and hedgehog prepared for the worst.

"Give up, you meddlesome little animals! You'll never defeat me!" bellowed out Eggman, his long pointed nose aimed at the two.

"Meddlesome? Ha! That's a new one, even for you, Eggman!" replied Sonic.

"Such childish remarks." growled Blaze, with flames lightly burning on her fingers.

"Oh hohoho, did I hit a nerve?" Eggman snarled with a psychotic smirk. The two looked at each other, and simultaneously shrugged. The 'good doctor' sat comfortably inside a massive exoskeleton from the inside. Two legs and two very large arms, with Eggman's signature head on the top, with a massive metallic grin. Red and shiny, with the moniker "Death Egg Robot Mark III" on the side of its torso.

"You gotta be running out of ideas now, Eggman. I mean, I beat this thing at least 5 times in my life, so what's so special about this one that makes you think you can beat me and Blaze? At once I might add. Seriously man, get some new blueprints." Sonic gestured towards his partner with a grin. Blaze remained stoic.

"Now, hand over the Chaos Emeralds, and I won't have to set your moustache on fire, along with the rest of you..." she threatened. Smoke started to emanate from her eyes. Eggman dramatically faked distress inside the cockpit, mocking the two of them.

"Oh, I'm so scared of the speedy hedgehog and the fiery cat, I think not! For you see, those emeralds, to answer your question, Sonic, is why I will beat you both very handily!" Eggman retorted with the devilish grin. "Now! Feast your eyes!" The front end of the mecha slowly opened up to show a huge cannon, about 5 times the height of them both, with bright lights surrounding it.

"Death Cannon: Charging." a robotic voice sounded inside the cockpit. Eggman's insane grin returned as the 7 Chaos Emeralds lit up on his computer monitor, along the other 7 emeralds.

"Now for the hat trick! You see, Blaze. This is no ordinary cannon! Everything within 5 miles will be reduced to dust. This wouldn't be possible with just the Chaos Emeralds, so it's a good thing I also have the Sol Emeralds in my possession! Haven't you been wondering where they went to? Ever since you got here, you've really been asking yourself where they were, being paranoid as always. Well wonder no more! Ah Haha!" he mocked. Blaze's eyes narrowed in fury. How could she let the emeralds out of her sight?

"You son of a-! Return them at once, or else!" she threatened, cutting her curse short. Eggman barely registered the remark.

"Oh I'm sorry, did you say something? I couldn't hear you over my-…What's going on?" he questioned. The 14 stones began to crackle and shake violently, in turn so did the mecha. Electric sparks of all 7 colors struck the 17 emeralds, as if the emeralds were somehow malfunctioning. Sonic and Blaze took a step backwards, not sure of what was next. That was the general feeling at that time among all 3 of them. The cannon pulsed randomly, as if it was trying to fire, and failing each time.

"Error. Error. Unknown Error. Total event collapse imminent." cracked the automated voice. The voice itself sounding like it was breaking with the pitch fluctuating.

"What do you mean, total event collapse?!" Eggman shrieked pounding on the controls. The emeralds stopped shaking for a brief moment, as if it was all over. Smoke billowed out of the cannon. The 3 stayed still, unsure what happened. Eggman sat deathly still in his seat, staring at his monitors with a blank expression.

"Uh, Eggman? What was that?" Sonic questioned. Before the Doctor could answer, a bright light shot out of the cannon and enveloped the 3 in an instant. There was no time for any of them to react whatsoever. The wave of light went far beyond them, enveloping the sky and the area that surround them. It was no explosion; it was more of a field of energy.

About 4 miles away, a small yellow fox was busy examining several pieces of miscellaneous tech in a small lab. Many machines lay around the place, including a massive scanner. Vats of molten metal also lay around carelessly, for upcoming projects. His twin tails flowing freely as he worked. The fox was simply typing away until an alert suddenly flashed on-screen, which read "Event imminent". He looked at it in confusion, before browsing several screens of information. The fox stopped dead, wide-eyed in shock.

"That…that is not possible." he muttered. The words "BRIDGE IN PROGRESS" was the last thing he could see before the field consumed him as well. The light didn't seem to stop at Earth. The whole of space around them became enveloped as well, as if the universe itself was being cleared by the field.

**A minute earlier, a very long way away.**

The woman wandered through the small forest, always looking behind her back every few seconds making sure she was never followed. A white robe covered her body and her face to keep it cloaked to hide her identity. She knew what she was going to do, and what she didn't want to do. Running away was the only way she could escape her future and her very boring life. She wasn't fit for survival, and she knew that. With all the strange, strange people in the continent, she doubted wearing no armour, a set of regal clothes and a small sword would defend her. She didn't care. Her mother's footsteps were the ones she wanted to follow. Not her fathers'. She guessed she was around 4 miles away from her home, but progress was progress.

The ground beneath her began to suddenly shake violently. The world around her got twice as bright at the same time, like a massive explosion had occurred. Stunned, she looked around to find the source, only to discover the source was coming from above her.

"…Uh, since when was there two suns?" she thought to herself, both lights glistening in her bright blue eyes. The 2nd light got more and more intense until it enveloped her, and the surrounding landscape. The nearby castle was completely engulfed, followed the by the forests, the deserts, and the massive city far away. Everything was again completely covered in energy. For a moment, there was nothing.

High above the clouds, there was chaos. Angels flying around in sheer panic as the ground below was ripped from their sight by the flash, screaming at each other, all wanting explanations. At the centre of it all, a massive winged woman sat in a throne, eyes closed with a firm expression. Several angels flew around her, waiting to see if she had answers. Among them was a blue haired girl, with one wing bigger than the other, who looked up to herl like a child to a parent. The Head Angel eventually opened her eyes, and spoke a few words.

"_Our universe is in peril..._", she whispered, yet her voice could be heard throughout the heavens. Angels all around stopped and listen to her words. Unfortunately, most angel went straight back to panicking. She closed her eyes again as the angels kept on demanding help. The blue haired angel looked down to discover the ground was slowing returning to view.

"Nanael? What are you looking at?" one angel asked. She didn't answer. Before long all the angels were peering below the clouds to the surprisingly normal landscape. Nothing seemed different at all. At last, the panicking stopped, but the questions remained.

"So much for peril." Nanael said sarcastically. She looked towards the Head Angel, who still kept her eyes shut, with an expression suggesting she was trying to work something out, or was in some amount of pain.

Back in the forest, a cool breeze flowed softly through the air as if nothing had happened. Birds tweeted to themselves, as if asking each other what happened. In the grass lay a blue figure, his long blue spikes flowing lightly in the wind. His eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the sunlight. Wincing in pain, the hedgehog sat up slowly with a hand on his head.

"Urgh…Where-Blaze?! Eggman?! Where are you two?!" he screamed. He got up surprisingly quickly and looked around the forest he found himself in, panicking. Neither of them was anywhere in the imminent area. No robot, no partner and no fat man. However on the ground at his feet was a single green gem, a Chaos Emerald. He picked it up and examined it carefully. It sparked randomly, as if something was badly wrong. 1 out of 7 was not a bad start if you've just woken up. Carefully he looked around, hoping to find Eggman or Blaze in the grass, though he was running on hope, as neither was there. But he did find something. Lying in the grass a few feet away was a cloaked figure, perfectly still. Sonic looked at it carefully.

"Uh, hello? Are you ok?" he asked with no answer. It wasn't Blaze, it was too tall. He slowly approached the person who was lying on its side. Kneeling down, Sonic rolled it on to its back and removed the hood.

It was a young woman, a human. She had golden blonde hair, long at the sides. Very pretty, there was no doubt. With a worry he put a finger on her neck to check for a pulse. He breathed a small sigh when he found one, beating away slowly. He leaned in closer and tilted his head so his ear was above her nose to check her making sure she was breathing, and luckily she was. On her side was a scabbard containing a small sword.

"Why would she need that?" he asked himself, not even bothering to wonder who she was. She was unconscious in the middle of a large forest, armed. A traveller? He didn't know. In his mind, she needed help. Looking up he looked out for some form of civilization. Luckily, he spotted a tall castle far off in the distance. He swore it wasn't there when he was fighting Eggman. It also seemed strangely...new compared to most castles he seen.

"Huh, two birds with one stone. I can save this chick, and ask where I am!" he proclaimed. He picked up the body and held her in his arms. She was surprisingly light. "Now please don't wake up in the next 10 seconds. You'll get a fright if you do." he warned to her unhearing ears. In the blink of an eye, Sonic blasted his way towards the castle. The sudden wind blew the trees back as leaves were ripped from branches by the sheer force of his speed. Unknown to him was a strange pink puddle, moving back into the forest on its own, as if it had watched him. The girl's hair blew over her face as she opened her eyes very briefly to the view of a blue face, a few stands of hair and clouds racing across the sky, before fading back into unconsciousness.

The castle stood proudly over the land, clearly a place of some form of dynasty. Flags decorated the outside of the main building, with several massive pillars surrounding it as it stood on the water. A small stone bridge connected the place over a moat. Despite the colossal size, one simple pair of guards stood by the entrance to the bridge, making the castle's defense seem very disproportionate to the size.

"How long has it been since she ran off?" asked one to the other.

"Only an hour ago. You know, the scariest thing about her running off isn't the danger she's in, it's her sister."

"Oh yeah, Elina is terrifying when her precious sister runs off. What is with her anyway? 'Clingy' doesn't begin to describe her relationship."

"It's best we don't talk about it. It's weird enough. Besides, I'm never sure of where she is…she's not behind us, is she?" he asked nervously. The other one turned round to see just the massive arch over the end of the bridge.

"Nope, we're clear," he said calmly. He narrowed his eyes to the distance, noticing dust being kicked up. "…What is that thing coming here?" he said pointing to a speeding blue figure at the centre of it all.

"Not sure…but it's holding a body," the other confirmed. After a moment, his eyes widened in shock. "… Oh my God, it's her!" he yelled. "Alert Lady Elina!" On command the other guard ran inside the castle. The figure got closer and closer, causing the guard to raise his weapon, in case whatever it was wasn't friendly. The blue creature screeched to a halt in front of him. To his surprise the figure was only up to his shoulders when it stopped. It was a blue spiky…thing with big green eyes and bright red shoes, carrying a woman in his arms. The guard's attention was fixated on what was carrying the body, rather than the body itself.

"What…what are you?" he asked. Sonic raised a brow.

"Hedgehog. What else could I be?" he muttered, not realising how strange he appeared. "Anyway, I found this woman in the forest, and I thought she could be hurt. Can you help her?" he asked. The guard's attention returned to the woman in Sonic's arms.

"Uh, yes! She ran off from the castle about an hour ago. At least she's safe now. What happened to her? What did you do, strange creature?!" he demanded. Sonic almost felt offended.

"Wow. You like this to everyone who saves your people?" he questioned sternly. The guard backed down, slightly humiliated by his attitude. "I don't know. There was a light and when I woke up, she was lying out cold nearby." he explained, not noticing how odd his statement was.

"What do you mean' woke up'?" he asked. For the first time since he woke, Sonic thought harder on where he was. It all seemed too natural.

"…This is going to seem weird, but where am I?" Sonic asked.

"…You're at Castle Vance. I thought you'd know that. You know, since you brought back the Countess-to-be and all." he retorted. Sonic didn't though. He had no idea if he was in a different country or not. He could be dead for all he knew, and this was some kind of afterlife. If that was the case, he found it unremarkable.

"She's been found?!" screamed a voice. Before he could dwell any more on the subject, he spotted a woman running towards him over the bridge. She was also blonde, perhaps a relative, but that wasn't what caught Sonic's attention. It was her attire that got his eye, or rather the lack-there-of. Sonic had no idea that metal bras were in fashion. Tiger patterns seemed to be all the rage apparently as well. If she was a person of importance, he wondered if people took her seriously. On her head were cat ears made of metal for some bizarre reason, which made the earlier thought all the more provoking.

"Leina! My sister! I'm coming for you, I'm so happy you're back!" she screeched like a young school girl. Sonic was left puzzled.

"Leina? Who is…Oh...", he realised. The penny dropped. He was holding 'Leina' in his arms the entire time. The other woman started fawning over her as soon as she got close enough. She didn't even seem to notice the hedgehog holding her, until she noticed that 'Leina' wasn't responding to her calls. Sonic suddenly found himself face to face a pair of eyes like daggers. In her hand was some sort of metal spear, and it was pointed at his forehead.

"What did you do to my Leina, monster?!" she demanded. Her metal gauntlet tightened it grip on her spear. Sonic was grown tired of being called a creature today.

"Urgh, Nothing! I found her like this. End of story,", he explained firmly, trying not to let his frustration show. "I'm Sonic by the way. Sonic the Hedgehog." Normally he'd introduce himself with a chipper tone and a smile, but he didn't exactly feel like it this time. He wasn't getting a great first impression of her.

"Hedgehog? You look nothing like one," she replied, rather disinterested. Sonic found this odd. Humans were used to seeing him around. "You are addressing Lady Elina Vance for your information, commoner."

"Commoner? Excuse me, _lady_, but I just found your sister. At least show a bit of gratitude.", he sneered. Elina glared at him, but Sonic didn't back down. In his arms, Sonic felt a stirring. Looking down, he noticed the woman was waking up, legs slowly moving, trying to work out where she was. Her eyes slowly opened up to the sight of the blue hedgehog. After a few seconds, her eyes widened completely. She jerked up, staring at him.

"…What the hell…" she muttered, before being glomped by her sister. Sonic almost fell back at the sudden extra weight.

"Leina! I'm so happy you're ok! Are you ok?! Please tell me you're ok!" shrieked Elina. Normally, this would be a heart-warming scene, but Sonic couldn't help but notice Elina's hand movement during her hug. She wasn't so much embracing her as much as she was trying to literally grope her. Considering the fact that they were sisters, he barely suppressed a wince.

"Elina?! But…" Leina replied. She took a good look around, before putting the pieces together. "Oh not again…" she mumbled in despair. Leina looked up towards Sonic again, with a slight look of disappointment in her face. "You brought me back?" she asked.

"Well, yeah. You looked like you were hurt so I brought you here. I didn't know it was your home." he explained. Leina sighed with irritation.

"It's fine. Just another failure." she said quietly. She sounded really bitter at the fact she was returned back to her castle. Sonic raised a brow at her. He thought she would be happy to be home.

"Aw, I'm never letting you run away from me again, dear sister." Elina purred, nuzzling her head against Leina's.

"Wait a sec. Run away? What for?" Sonic asked. Leina said nothing as her sister addressed him with a cold frown.

"It's none of your business, commoner.", she snarled. Sonic became visibly frustrated with her attitude, he wasn't going to bother hiding it anymore.

"I think it is actually. I thought I was saving the woman, I didn't know I was making her more miserable!" he retorted. Elina raised her spear again, with the guards doing so as well. Leina suddenly looked concerned.

"Talk to me like that again, and I shall have you thrown in the cellar, Sonic the Hedgehog." she snarled. Sonic smirked, mockingly.

"Is that so?" he whispered, leaning closer to Elina, "I'd like to see you try," daring her. At the corner of his eye, he caught Leina with a slight grin on her face, looking at him. It felt like she was supporting him, rather than her sister. But why? Why would she run away? Sonic backed down for her sake, still in his stride. "Very well, Elina, I shall leave. You are completely welcome that I returned your sister to you, no need to thank me." he mocked. He looked back at Leina, and gave her a reassuring smirk.

"Anyway, I shall be off then. Goodbye Elina, goodbye Leina, goodbye guard-whose-name-I-didn't-get." he almost sang with a wave. With that, he raced off into the forest, out of view. Leina looked off to where he went, hopeful that he'd come back. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Instead she was left with her sister securely fastened to her waist.

"I'm coming back. I have questions that need answering." Sonic thought to himself. He needed to know why Leina ran away.

A few minutes later back at the castle, Leina found herself in the company of her elder sister, unique to her and Elina. Leina both looked up to and feared her sister. The red-headed woman sat at a desk, glaring at her. It was a massive empty room, almost too big. She could only stand there like a child caught doing something she shouldn't have. "Leina, for the last time, you have a duty. You can't just run off.", she spoke with a more regal tone than her younger sisters.

"I'm well aware, and for the last time, I don't want these responsibilities. I can do what I like." she retorted, her tone almost innocent and childish.

"It's just a good thing you didn't get far. You could have run into some dangerous creature, or a bandit or both if you were really unlucky. You're not fit for fighting." she lectured her.

"This is why I ran off. I want to learn to fight! I want to be like mother." she tried to explain. Her sister stood up from her desk, slamming her hands on her desk.

"Enough Leina! You will do as you're told."

"Why can't you be countess?" she asked. She knew full well why but she asked anyway, hoping to get a response. Her sister frowned at her, her fury barely suppressed.

"I won't discuss those matters with you. Trying to get a reaction is just shameful. Now, you should probably know I shall be leaving later today, I have some business to attend to with the blacksmiths. Hopefully our guards will be better equipped soon," she announced. Leina's felt her mood drop even further. Such basic privileges as leaving were unavailable to her for obvious reasons. "Now, be gone, Leina." she commanded like a strict parent. Leina remained quiet and slowly walked out of the room, both defeated and unwilling to anger her sister anymore.

"Bye Claudette.", she replied quietly. Walking through the empty corridors, gazing at the many portraits. Herself, Elina and her father appearing in the majority of them. Claudette was in less of them than the rest. Leina made her way upstairs to her room. It was made up for her returning, as it always was. For some reason, even the sight of a clean room bugged her. Leina face planted right into her bed with an annoyed sigh. She wanted out, and away from it all and it's all she ever wanted. When it came to Christmas, her idea of writing "Independence" on her wish list didn't go down well with the family, less her father. She thought about the blue hedgehog that brought her back. She didn't blame him; he was only doing what was right. Just a pity his right was her wrong. Looking up at her wall was a picture of a tall, blonde woman. She seemed to greatly resemble Leina. Underneath the image was the caption 'Marie Vance'.

"Mother, why can't I be like you?" Leina muttered to herself. Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft, yet playful knock on the door. She turned to find Elina at the doorway, hands holding the top, thrusting forward, as if she was 'presenting' herself.

"Leina? I was wondering if you'd care to join me for a bath." she said with a sly grin, her tone almost sultry. Leina lowered her eyelids.

"No. You know we're both too old for that." she replied. Elina groaned like an annoyed child.

"Aw, come on,_ please?_ For your sister?" she begged.

"It's the fact we're sisters I say 'no' in the first place. I'll have one later, but _on my own_. I can't stress that enough." she replied flatly. Elina seemed visibly disappointed, but smiled regardless.

"Well, at least let me do your hair later." she asked again. Leina rolled her eyes. If it would keep her quiet for a while...

"…Fine." she muttered.

"Yes! I'm thinking braids would look great on you! See ya later sis!" she squealed before running off, giggling. Leina returned her face to her bed. Her opinion on Sonic had changed slightly.

"Curse. That. Hedgehog." she mumbled, muffled by her bed sheets. She peeked up and out of the window, staring at the forest standing before the castle. She still hoped to see rapid movement, but the trees stood as silent as ever, as if nothing had happened.

Unbeknownst to her, and everyone else, was the pink puddle, watching the castle from a distance, a pair of bunny ears protruding from the surface.

"Hedgehog." it whispered, even without a mouth. The puddle squelched as it moved back into the forest, waiting.

Things had calmed down above. The angels were busy trying to work out what had happened, and the Head Angel was still eerily quiet with her eyes still shut tight. Only two angels were with her. Nanael and a pink haired angel, Hachiel.

"What do you think she's doing?" asked Hachiel with concern. Nanael folded her arms.

"No idea, probably wondering what that light was earlier," she replied. "Then again, nothing is ever a straight answer with her anyway."

"You know she can probably still hear you, right?"

"…Ah," Nanael casually flew backwards a few inches, just in case of a 'sudden smiting'. It was strange; no one on Earth seemed to react to the light. It happened and then it was gone. What came from the light, they didn't know either. Suddenly the Head Angel opened her eyes and let out a pained grunt. The two angels immediately gave their full attention. "Ma'am, are you ok?" asked Nanael. Her expression serious, she turned to Nanael.

"_Our world has been changed_." she announced.

"Changed? Changed how?" Hachiel asked.

"_That event that occurred brought something with it, and whatever it was has changed how our world works. For better or for worse, I don't know. Scale is a mystery as well_." she responded. The Head Angel turned to Nanael.

"_Nanael, I want you to observe something for me. Locate Castle Vance, and keep an eye on it. Do not interfere, just observe_." she ordered.

"Why there?" she asked.

"_Honestly, it's more of a suspicion than anything. I have the slight feeling one of the 'changes' occurred there._" she answered back Nanael saluted with a wide smile.

"You got it ma'am!" she replied. She sped down to below the clouds, to Earth. She didn't obey out of loyalty, but out of fear of becoming a fallen angel. Nanael wasn't the most efficient of the angels, so pissing off the Head Angel was not exactly high on her to-do list.

**Several hours later**

Night had fallen over Castle Vance. Only the sound of the wind filled the air as the night patrol stood around the castle. The massive doors to the inside were tightly closed. Nothing could get in, or out. A group of soldier stood by the castle walls, secretly hoping for something to happen just to kill the boredom. Luckily it was a reasonably warm night.

"What was that?!" cried out one of the men, sword bared. He suddenly turned to the right, only to be greeted by the stone ground and a bewildered guard.

"What's wrong with you, private?" the older man asked. The private stuttered slightly before talking.

"I-I thought I saw something, like it ran up the side, over here and up the walls. At the corner of my eye, but it moved so fast…" he replied.

"Well, just tell me when your mind isn't playing tricks on you. Still, shows you were paying attention." the man replied. The younger soldier breathed a nervous sigh to calm himself down. He had perfect reason to think he saw something. On the roof of one of the towers was a certain blue hedgehog.

"Now, let's get some investigating done," Sonic whispered to himself. Moving slowly across the roof, he looked for some way inside the castle. "If I have trapped someone here, well I have to get her out again…Also I should really stop talking to myself." he quipped. He peered over the edge, making note of the massive drop below. Windows were used sparingly over the walls, but under one was a small stone balcony, with glass doors providing a way in. The view was blocked by large green curtains, leaving no way to see who was there, if anyone at all. He knew it wouldn't be as easy as walking in like nothing was wrong. Carefully, he lowered himself to the balcony and put an ear to the window, hoping to hear silence. Instead, he heard two female voices.

"Now I hope you're not planning to run away again." spoke one. It was the woman from before, Elina.

"What's the point? I'll just get found again." the other sighed, clearly Leina. On the inside the two sisters were by a mirror, with Elina brushing Leina's hair with a soft smile on her face, with two braids hanging on the sides. Leina on the other hand had nothing to be happy about.

"Exactly. You're going to be countess one day, Leina. You'll find a man, and get married," replied Elina, her tone sounding less encouraging near the end. Leina's felt especially depressed by the last line. "I swear I'm going to make your marriage the worst day of your husband's life." Elina hissed with a slightly malevolent grin. Leina said nothing, looking down away from the mirror. On the outside, Sonic couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"What is with this chick? Is that how you support your family? You can't have her to yourself you know." he thought to himself. His mind briefly flashed back to their "hug" earlier. Putting two and two together freaked him out. Perhaps that's what she wanted. Becoming suddenly aware of his own presence, he looked down to make sure nobody could see him. There wasn't luckily, just the men he ran past, but they couldn't see him anyway at their angle. However, high above him was a pair of bright blue eyes, watching him diligently. She stared at him in disbelief.

"Is this thing a pervert or what?" Nanael thought to herself. She just witnessed a blue creature sneak his way to someone's bedroom. Nothing seemed as suspicious as that. Unknown to this, Sonic put his ear back to the window.

"I meant to ask, why were you out cold when that blue thing found you?" asked Elina. Sonic frowned. He hated being called a 'thing'.

"I don't actually remember. It was strange, there was this massive light in the sky and this great flash. Next thing I know, I was awake in that hedgehog's arms. What was his name again?" she asked. Her sister rolled her eyes. Sonic perked up from outside.

"Sonic or something like that," she replied, uninterested. "What flash?"

"You didn't see it?"

"Nope. Nothing." Leina sat there confused. How could she have missed it? On the outside, fear struck Sonic's heart.

"That can't be good." he thought. The same thing happened to him, and when he awoke, he was with her. Blaze and Eggman were gone, like he was taken away. If someone else saw it, then what could it mean? Sonic heard someone enter the room. Their footsteps sounding heavy on the ground.

"Lady Elina, your presence is required." a rough voice spoke. An audible groan came from her.

"What is it now?" she growled.

"There have been sightings of a strange creature around the castle grounds. We could use your aid, ma'am." he replied. Sonic suddenly turned round, to again see if he was being watched, though there still wasn't anyone. Slight paranoia filled his mind.

"Has that hedgehog returned?! I'll deal with him. Leina, just you sit here, I'll be back soon.", Elina snarled. Sonic heard a flurry of footsteps getting quieter and quieter until there was nothing.

"Hmph. Take your time." Leina mumbled to herself. Not a sound could be heard in her room. She could try to escape again, but what would the point be? Guards looking for a creature, there would be nowhere to run. She looked up at herself in the mirror. 'Depressed' was the thought that came to mind when she saw her own face. The only thing at that moment that she was pleased about was her braids. In the silence of the night, Leina's heart jumped when there were 4 soft knocks at her window. She turned in her seat, mouth agape. There was no way someone could get out there from the outside, it was impossible. Slowly, looking nervously at the doorway, she crept towards window. She thought if something was there to kill her, it would have done it by now. She slowly grabbed the curtains before violently yanking them to the side. A big pair of green eyes is what greeted her.

"Hi." it spoke through the window. Leina jumped backwards before getting a good look at it.

"It's you!" she whispered. The hedgehog lowered his eye lids.

"Is it? Would never have guessed." he remarked sarcastically. "You gonna let me in?" Leina opened the door, allowing he hedgehog to walk in. The two never broke eye contact the whole time.

"…Well, you're a tall one, aren't you?" whispered Leina, trying to break the awkward silence.

"I guess. I'm Sonic by the way."

"Yea, I know who you are. You…" she began, with a frown, "...were the one who brought me back.", she said bitterly.

"Yup, and I want to know why you aren't so happy about it," he replied. He walked around the room with a grin. Everything was so clean and classy. "Nice place! Fancy, spacious, and you have bed bigger than a king-sized one. Never knew they existed. "You live in a massive castle, why would you want to run away from all this? I'd kill for a place like yours." he joked. Leina sighed.

"It's a long story." she said sadly.

"Then make it a short one. Your sister will be back soon and I doubt I'm going to get a happy greeting." he said. Leina looked at the door and back to him.

"Well, my name is Leina Vance, as you know. I'm the middle sister of the Vance women. My father is the count of the place, and I'm next in line," she explained. Sonic sat down on the bed, listening. "My sister is too young to be countess, and my elder sister Claudette is…not allowed."

"Not allowed?"

"She's a bastard child. My father was with this other woman before my mother. She can't be countess. Leaving only me."

"Where is your mother now?" he asked. Leina just looked at him with a solemn glare. Sonic picked up on the message quickly. "Sorry." he muttered.

"You didn't know. Before she died, she was a warrior, once known throughout the land. She participated in the Queen's Blade tournament, where she came very close to winning…she didn't make it through the last round." she said sadly.

"Queen's Blade tournament?"

"Every 4 years, the strongest women gather from around the continent to challenge the current queen. If they win, they become the queen. If nobody wins, then the queen reigns for another 4 years." she explained.

"I've never heard of it…" Sonic muttered.

"You're not from around here, are you?" she asked.

"No. No I am not," he replied with worry. In all the years Sonic has run around the world he has never heard of people fighting to become a leader of an entire nation. "You said a continent. Which continent is this?" he asked.

"Gynos. There is a massive city far to the north named after it. Funnily enough, that's where fighters wanting to take part have to go. Why?" she asked. Total panic swept across Sonic's face. It took a while for it to click, but he came to the realisation.

"Leina, you know how I said I'm not from here?" he asked, barely holding back the terror in his voice.

"Yes?"

"I'm not just from another continent, or a world. I'm from a different universe." he announced. Leina just looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Another universe? What does that even mean?"

"Picture your world. Not just the continent, but the Earth you stand on. Imagine another one, just like yours, but it exists on another plane of reality. I'm from that other plane…and that is not a good thing." He acted out the explanation with his hands.

"Why?" she asked, almost worried.

"Because if I'm here, then so is my friend, as well as…others. We have to move-what the hell?" he exclaimed, turning towards the window. There was a pink woman just standing there, out of the blue as if she was always there. She wore strange pink clothes and she was somewhat transparent, all of her. On her head were two pink bunny ears with two hands coming out of her hair, which 'covered' her otherwise exposed chest. Her eyes were blue with crosses for pupils. She seemed to glow with a pink hue.

"An outsider, huh? Well, I can think of someone who would like to see you." she spoke. Her voice sounded strangely familiar to Sonic, reminding her of another 'pink' character. They sounded almost identical.

"…Who are you?" he asked. The pink woman grinned.

"I'm Melona. Now, I won't ask a third time, hedgehog. With. Me." she insisted. She didn't sound all that threatening.

"I'm not going with you. I don't even know who you are." he replied sternly. Melona shut her eyes with a grin.

"Shame, because I wasn't asking. Oh well." she said. Her grin turned into a massive smile as she opened her eyes again. They shone directly at Sonic and Leina. Suddenly a massive explosion rocked the castle as Melona blew a hole in the building. The 3 closest walls of Leina's room were torn away, leaving only wreckage and the back wall. The supports were the only thing stopping the entire tower from collapsing. Sonic and Leina were knocked back violently against the back wall, with a painful thud.

Below, the guards narrowly moved out-of-the-way of the falling debris. Elina stood with them.

"What was that?!" screamed the older man.

"That was Lady Leina's room!" responded one of the others. The older man turned to them.

"You two, into the castle and find her." he ordered. Elina pushed her way through them.

"Out of my way! If anyone is going to find her, it's me!" she yelled. Elina made a run for the entrance.

"I swear, I'm going to kill whoever did that." she growled. Opening up his eyes again, Sonic saw the blurred image of Melona slowly approaching him, fire surrounding her from behind. Spotting Leina grimacing in pain, he leaned over to her ear.

"Run. Find some form of protection as fast as possible." he whispered.

"What about you?" she asked. Sonic looked back at the pink creature.

"I can take her." he replied with confidence. Leina heeded his advice and made her way for the door. Melona stretched her arm in an attempt to stop her, but it was blocked by Sonic as he jumped in her way, knocking the arm back with a fist.

"Stretchy arms? That's slightly different. I've had them once, not great." he chuckled. Melona focused on him as Leina made her way out. She knew what to find.

"You know you're a strange one Sonic. So you won't obey me then?" Melona asked. Sonic shook his finger at her.

"Unfortunately, I'm nobody's slave. You want me? Come on then!" he dared.

"So be it." Melona grunted. She removed her extra hands from her chest, and used them to grab her exposed chest. Sonic just stood there, alarmed.

"Uh, what are you doing?" she asked. Abruptly, a white substance shot out of them. Sonic darted out-of-the-way as it hit the wall where he once was. He watched as it slowly ate through the brickwork. He was in a state of disbelief. In all his life, he never thought he'd _ever_ be attacked in such a odd way.

"...Ok. I have some questions. One: _WHAT?!_" he yelled. "Two: _WAS THAT?!_" he continued. Melona covered herself again.

"My attacks. You'll be happy to know that's not all I have." she replied bluntly, as if it was a normal thing to say. Sonic let those her words fly through his mind for a few seconds.

"_**…WHAT?!**_" he screamed. Melona tried again, but Sonic was ready. He dodged the attack and made a run at her, curling into a ball. He leapt right at her, slicing right through her head and torso like a buzzsaw, his spines spitting pink slime across the room. Landing again, he turned round to see her flopping at two sides, facing away from him. There was luckily no blood, but she wasn't dead. She turned to face him as her sides reattached themselves. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Please, did you really think that would work?" she asked. Sonic stood back, thinking of a way to beat her.

"…Just what kind of monster are you?" he asked. Melona suddenly made a grab for him. Several hands shot out of her body as she grabbed his arms and neck. Her expression remained stoic as she brought him closer. She lifted him into the air, his legs kicking.

"You know, most people who call me a monster don't live long enough to regret it." she said devoid of emotion, though clearly in fury. She started to strangle the hedgehog. Despite being deprived of air, he managed a chuckle.

"Heh…then I have news for ya," he spluttered with a grin. Melona narrowed her eyes. "I'm not like most people." he grunted. In her arms, Sonic began to roll into a ball, and span faster and faster. Melona's arms were dragged into the mid-air spin dash as slime started to spurt from the ball. She tried to resist being pulled in, but with a scream, her entire body was dragged in, splattering herself across the ruined room. Sonic landed lightly on the ground, noticing the pink splats on the ground as they started to move towards each other. "Still not done? Well come on then, Melona. Show me what you're made of!" he taunted, as her body began to reform.

Running down the stairs with her heart in throat, Leina made a beeline for the gallery. She stopped at a doorway to watch several soldiers running in every direction, presumably to investigate the explosion. Elina burst through a doorway, with a furious look on her face. Leina quickly hid behind the doorway on the right, as Elina ran up the stairs to the left.

"You will face my wrath you degenerate!" she screeched as her voice echoed through the air. Peering out one of the windows she saw the full extent of the damage. The blast not only destroyed her room, but a good chunk of the structure, causing more damage to the archways and the ground below due to the debris. Smoke clouded the sky above as fires burned. She didn't have much time left. Running, she thought back to the hedgehog. It felt like she had just abandoned him to face the creature alone, but she wasn't going to leave him for long. She burst into a massive empty corridor, the gallery. Scattered around the rooms were several glass cases full of expensive items. Jewels, ancient weapons and paintings of the Vance family throughout history. Leina run up to the center piece.

It was a statue, shaped like a young women. On it was several slabs of metal. A single metal glove and a pair of combat boots, sharp and shiny. Belts were strung around the waist and the neck. On its chest was a massive, rather flat breast-plate, with a small plate on the back, both pieces strapped together. On the waist was a piece of red fabric, bearing a symbol. The backside wasn't protected at all however, only covered by a black thong. In its hands was a large sword with a golden hilt, and on the other was a shield with 3 curved spines, shaped like a sawblade. On its head was a metal hairband with 2 silver hoops laying on the stone 'hair'. On the bottom of the statue was the marking 'Vance Armour – Worn by Marie Vance'. The armour was held in place by a series of nails and ropes. With a slight grin, Leina yanked the ropes from the statue, making quick work of removing the nails as well. Looking behind her to make sure nobody would walk in; she carried the armour to behind a large casing, containing some old robes, which was just tall enough to conceal her body

She quickly removed her night-gown and immediately started strapping the armour to herself. It wasn't until after she was naked that she noticed how cold it was in the room. The boots seemed to fit perfectly on her feet, with no discomfort. The glove, for lack of a better term, fit like a glove, though she couldn't help but notice how heavy her legs and right arm felt with the armour on. Hearing soldiers run past the gallery, she quickly put on the breast-plate, which didn't quite…fit. Her mother must have been less well-endowed than she was, because Leina felt rather squashed with it on. The Y shape of it didn't make her feel at ease either, leaving the center of her chest vulnerable and revealing. She didn't know which of those two was more concerning, but she put her worries aside for the time. Slipping on the rest of the miscellaneous items she examined herself in a nearby mirror. She looked like a fighter, to her anyway. Turned around and tilted her head back to check her behind. Suddenly the breast-plate didn't seem so bad compared to her behind. Finishing up, she put on her mother's headband and put the hoops through her twin braids. She as she held her sword and shield, she thought back to Claudette's words.

"_It's just a good thing you didn't get far. You could have run into some dangerous creature, or a bandit or both if you were really unlucky. You're not fit for fighting"_

She didn't let those words affect her. She could manage on her own. How hard can using a sword and shield be anyway? With a determined expression, Leina made her way back to her room, noting she was running notably slower than before, due to the added weight.

"Oh come on! Stop reforming and just give up!" screamed Sonic, as Melona regrew an arm. She was visibly angry now. "Impress me, come on! Do something that isn't you stretching your arms or shooting acid out your breasts!" he taunted, noting how weird that sentence was. Melona clasped her arms together as they formed a massive hammer. With an almighty swing, he destroyed the wall behind Sonic as he barely dodged the swing. He didn't expect to be smashed through the hole by a massive clenched fist however. Sonic was launched violently out of the room and on to a lower rooftop. He groaned in pain as he slammed on to the tiles.

"Ok. You can stop impressing me now." he muttered as he looked up. Melona walked towards the edge before abruptly feeling something pierce her back. Looking down, she found a black spear protruding from her stomach.

"Where. Is. My. Sister?" growled Elina from behind, not noticing her attack did nothing. Melona smiled and closed her eyes. "ANSWER ME!" she screeched. The back of Melona's head started to warp as Elina glared at it. Suddenly, she was knocked to the floor with a crash, knocked right out cold. A fist protruded from Melona's head sank right back into her. With her opponent 'dispatched' for the time being, Melona made a dainty jump onto the main roof.

"I am getting really bored of you, Sonic. Why don't you just die?" she asked, with an innocent tone. Sonic crawled backwards, but Melona again grabbed his neck, lifting him off the ground. "Maybe this time you will." she said, as he other arm formed into a spear. She jerked her arm back, and Sonic closed his eyes, expecting his death. All he heard was a squelch, but no pain. Slowly, he opened his eyes again, to find the spear still aimed at his chest, but Melona headless. Her body let go of him as it dissolved into a puddle again, reforming. Choking for air, Sonic looked up to find an armored woman, sword bared, standing behind Melona's remains.

"…Leina?" he muttered. She smirked confidently, but the exchange would have to wait. Melona reformed, fists clenched, looking at her 'killer'. He anger turned to a smug expression, amused by the sight.

"Aw, little Leina Vance. Just because you're wearing armour, doesn't mean you can beat me." she taunted. Leina moved into a rather amateur fighting stance.

"I have to try." she replied. Melona threw her arms at her, with Leina randomly swinging her sword at them, with no sense of coordination. Sonic could see she was inexperienced, and it was almost luck she was striking Melona at all. Melona stopped her jabs and turned her arms into a club and made a swing for her. Leina managed to block the swing, but lost her footing. Seeing an opening, Melona swung again, striking Leina right in the stomach. Despite being 'armour', it shattered violently, with pieces of metal flying in different directions. Leina's pained shrieks filled the air as she was thrown to the ground, clutching her stomach. Sonic noticed blood dripping to the ground where she lay. With a giggle, Melona approached for the kill as Leina struggled to hold back pained tears. It was then Sonic noticed the pieces of metal on the ground.

"Try as you might, but you're nothing, Leina," Melona snarled. She formed her arms into two separate blades and raised them over her body "Oh well. Good night, Leina Vance." she taunted. Leina closed her eyes expecting the worst.

"HEY GOO GIRL!" yelled Sonic. Melona turned round to find Sonic clutching two sharp pieces of metal in his hands. He made a run at her, leaping into the air. She tried to shoot him, but only a trickle of acid escaped before Melona felt two pieces of metal stab into her chest. Sonic had 'plugged' her up. She gasped as she slowly inflated as the acid built up. "Oh crap." muttered Sonic as he could foresee the result. He hurried over to the injured Leina, who barely seemed conscious. "How hurt are you?" he asked in a worried tone. Leina grimaced in pain.

"Very!" she grunted. Her hands were red with blood as she held her stomach. Sonic sighed as he carefully picked her up, with Melona still inflating behind him.

"Bear with the pain for a sec." he panted. With Leina in his arms, he leapt of the side of the roof as Melona screamed. He shielded Leina as the slime girl violently exploded behind him. The detonation shook the ground and destroyed the roof, a large hole being ripped out of it. Sonic landed as carefully as he could on the ground below, trying not to cause Leina anymore pain that she was already experiencing. A pained groan escaped her mouth as they hit the ground however. There was not a single trace of Melona's existence left, but Sonic had a feeling she wasn't gone. Not yet.

"WHERE IS SHE? WHERE IS THAT PINK BITCH?!" a voice screeched from above. Sonic looked up to see Elina, with a hand on her head peering down below. Fury built in Elina's heart as she spotted the blue hedgehog with her dear sister.

"You! What are you doing here?!" she screamed. Her expression turned to worry as she noticed the blood dripping from Leina in his arms.

"I'm sorry," Sonic muttered. With that, he raced away from the half destroyed tower, passed some guards who didn't even get a chance to properly react, and over the bridge into the forest, away from Castle Vance. Elina's screams and curses could still be heard even after running miles away. All Leina had to concentrate on aside from the pain in her stomach was how far away they were running. Sonic stopped by a tall tree and laid Leina against the trunk. She winced in pain as he did so. "You have to take your hands away so I can see." he pleaded. Leina obeyed, and slowly removed them. A scrap piece of metal was embedded in her stomach with some minor scratches to go with it. Sonic looked in horror. An idea came to his head, but he knew that she was not going to like it.

"Leina, I need you to forgive me for this," he muttered. Suddenly, he grabbed the piece of metal and yanked it out of her body. Leina screamed loudly into the air and continued to clutch her stomach in pain. The sound was painful to Sonic's ears in multiple ways. Blood began to flow again. Seeing the real threat of her bleeding out, Sonic took out his green Chaos Emerald as his other hand held Leina's face. "Listen. You'll be fine." he promised. Leina didn't speak, but she nodded in response, her eyes glazed with tears. Placing a hand just above her chest, the emerald lit up as a green hue surrounded them both. Leina's breathing started to calm down as she looked towards her stomach. Her eyes widened as the gaping wound that was once bleeding furiously was now closing up, her skin somehow regrowing and merging together. As the green hue disappeared, she turned to Sonic, who had a soft smile on his face. Their eyes locked on.

"See? I told you I'd heal-" he started, but he was stopped dead by a sudden blast of energy. His eyes were forced wide open as a golden streaks of light left his and entered Leina's. Both were rendered completely still as their eyes were bridged. Nothing like this had ever happened to Sonic before, and he had no idea what the process entailed. Though she couldn't speak, Leina felt power surge through her body, like warm waves. Despite that, it wasn't pleasant. She felt like she was staring at the sun. After a few seconds, the energy ceased with a thunderous crackle. When the connection broke, Sonic shook his head and Leina took a sudden gasp of air.

"I-I have no idea what that was!" he said with a worried yell. He looked at Leina, who just stared at him, breathing heavily. "Are you ok, Leina?!" he asked.

"Yea, I'm fine I just feel…different." she admitted. In a bid to calm herself down, she took a deep breath and let it out. They both looked in confusion as golden wisps of energy flowed delicately from her mouth. She stared at the wisp as it disappeared. Whatever happened changed her in some way. "What…did you do to me?" she asked quietly. Sonic could only shrug.

"Probably wasn't a good idea to do that after being taken here by it." he admitted.

"No. Really?" she asked sarcastically. Her breathing returned to normal as they sat in silence.

"Can you walk?" asked Sonic. Leina got up with little effort.

"Yea, I'm fine now," she replied, reassuring him. She looked at the remains of her breast-plate, which was not more like a bra now, which was a stretch in itself. She studied her stomach, amazed there wasn't a scratch left. "Thank you, Sonic." she said with a smile. Sonic returned it, before looking at her again.

"…What are you wearing by the way?" he asked, studying her choice of clothes.

"Oh, it's my mother's armour. You know how I said my mother was a great fighter? Well, that's why I ran away. I want to be like her," she explained. She looked at her sword. "Heh, it's even her old equipment I'm using."

"So you took your mom's armour? Well, I suppose that's the most effective way of following in her footsteps," he admitted, scratching his nose. "What was that thing back there?" he asked.

"I don't know. It wanted you for some reason, or at least, I _thought_ it wanted you," she replied. "What did you do to piss her off so bad?"

"I called her a monster. She…didn't take it well," he muttered, rubbing his throat. "Your sister is gonna be pissed. I mean, the castle has been badly damaged, and you've run off again." he said. The penny dropped in Leina's head. She was in the exact situation she wanted to be in. She was out of the castle, ready to fight!

"Heh, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. What do you plan on doing by the way? You said your friend might be here." she asked.

"I suppose I'll have to find her, along with the other 6 of these." Sonic held up the Chaos Emerald he used to heal Leina.

"What is that thing?"

"It's a Chaos Emerald. Seems that all my life I've been looking for these things. Time to do it again I guess," he replied. "Also, I need to find Blaze."

"Blaze?" Leina asked.

"Blaze the Cat, she's my friend. I was with her before all this happened" he explained. "Any idea where we might find her?" he asked.

Suddenly a massive blasting sound ripped across the sky, like a thunderbolt. In the distance, they saw two beams of light dart across the sky, far in the distance. One was purple, and one was red. The lights acted more like lasers, as if they were cutting into something, and the beams were only a few feet into the air, but the flash looked like a fireworks display. Leina turned towards Sonic.

"What...was that?." she spoke flatly.

"No idea. What's all the way over there?" he asked.

"It's another continent, believe it or not. Well, it's more of a small island nation that's part of a continent. It's only a small boat trip away," she explained. "Whatever that was, it was very powerful." she said, barely containing the excitement in her voice.

"What's the island's name?" he asked.

"Hinomoto." replied Leina. The name sounded very eastern to Sonic. He knew now he was definitely in a different universe.

"One of streaks might have been Blaze, but I'm not sure...Blaze's fire isn't purple to begin with. I wonder who the other one was." he wondered aloud.

"You'll just have to find out I guess."

"Wrong. _We'll_ just have to find out at some point," he said with a grin. Leina turned towards him, surprised. "You said you wanted to be a warrior, so where else to start? Travel with me, we're bound to run into trouble along the way. It'll be fun." he asked.

"Won't we just be wandering aimlessly?" she asked back. Sonic grinned.

"We could make our way to that Queen's Blade thingy you were talking about."

"I'm not actually interesting in fighting in it though..."

"So? You can still travel there, get some training or something. Besides, we could be a good team." he reassured her.

"Sure. I'll travel with you. Who knows who we'll meet along the way." she accepted, suddenly excited at seeing the world for real. Sonic chuckled.

"Heh, Sonic the Hedgehog and Leina –The Wandering Warrior." he joked. She giggled, actually liking the title. "But first thing's first, we need to find my friend Tails, first. If he was brought here"

"Tails? Weird name. Why?"

"Because of you, Leina," replied Sonic, pointing to her. "You need to improve your armour" he announced. Leina was taken back.

"What's wrong with it?!" she almost demanded. Sonic crossed his arms and walked around her.

"Well, if you don't mind me saying," he began, clearing his throat. "The armour seems to have a bad case of shattering, I mean Melona struck it once and it almost killed you. Worst case scenario with that thing being wrecked is your death. Best case? Public indecency charge." he admitted. Leina looked at her broken breast-plate, puzzled.

"Also, it can't be comfortable. Call me terrible for noticing, but you're quite a…_shapely_ woman. I mean, I had no idea beforehand with that gown on, but now I can see what you properly look like. You need something that's a better fit," he admitted with a red face. Leina blushed with embarrassment. "You only have one glove to protect your arm with the other totally bare, just a pair of boots to protect your legs as a whole, and you have nothing protecting your backside, like, at all. That's a public indecency charge_ in itself_. Your back itself is barely protected as well. For your own safety, we need to get it fixed, and upgraded." he finished. Leina looked at herself, and he was right. She wasn't greatly protected at all.

"I guess you're correct. But at least just upgrade this. I don't want my mother's armour just thrown away." she requested. Sonic nodded.

"Sure, we just have to find Tails first," he announced. In the distance was a faint explosion as a small rocket was shot into the sky. The two didn't even have to turn around. "If that's not a sign, I don't know what is," he chuckled. "No time like the present! Let's go!" he said, and he ran off into the forest. Leina looked back briefly at the castle, before turning back to the direction Sonic went. With a grin, she ran after him.


	2. Chapter 2: Hinomoto

**(A/N: If you're still here, then thanks. Shows there is interest. Thanks again.**

**_Chapter has been updated. Still not my best work, but it's better than before. Glaring errors have been removed. I apologize for leaving it unaltered._)**

"When I find him, I'm going to kill him" was the first thought that entered Blaze's head when she woke up on the cold stone ground. Her eyes adjusted to the setting sun, which felt slightly different. Nothing like her own world, or Sonic's. The sky was painted a rather beautiful orange. With a grunt, she sat up and took a look around, her limbs aching from the hard ground. To her left was nothing special, just a bunch of trees. She did wonder what she was sitting on though, a random stone structure? To her right, her question was answered.

She was on a cliff face, a tall one at that. Normally Blaze would back away from the drop out of fear but she stared in wonder at the view she had. It was large town or city, with wooden and stone structures scattered around the area. It all seemed very elegant and timeless. The natural surroundings made the whole scene look like a painting.

"That definitely wasn't here before" thought Blaze aloud. There were large groups of humans walking with each other, dressed in long robes of white and red. There didn't seem to be any men around however, which struck Blaze as odd. The place was beautiful though, with numerous ponds and small trees with white leaves. A large lake ran through the town with many women gathering water. Everyone seemed happy enough. Blaze caught sight of women wielding swords, practicing their techniques. She wondered if it was a religious order or something. Lanterns decorated the archways that stood over the paths. That's when she heard water running.

Nervously and carefully so she wasn't seen, she peeked over the edge of the cliff. She was actually on the edge of a massive waterfall, with the water streaming out of the cliff walls. Suddenly the height didn't seem so bad. The waterfall connected to the lake in the town, supplying the water. With a glance to her left, she noticed a small purple gem. To her surprise it was a Sol Emerald, but it seemed off. It crackled with energy, as if it was drained. "Something went wrong back there" she muttered with concern. Blaze examined her other hand as flames dimly flowed from them. She still had plenty of power in her system. Casting her mind back to before, all she could remember was a bright flash, and that was it. She needed answers.

"I can't just waltz into there and ask. There has to be someone though" she muttered. She looked at the waterfall again, and spotted a figure, all on her own sitting by the waterfall. Blaze decided that it would be best to ask only one person and pray they didn't run off. She spotted a small, steep pathway to the ground below, and crept towards it. As she crept down the path, she caught sight of a massive temple, standing majestically above all the other buildings. Rows of women sat at the entrance, meditating. She gazed in wonder at the sight as setting sun only made the picture that much better. With a light jump, Blaze stepped onto the level with the woman. She was just like the others in terms of clothes, white and red kimono. Luckily she had her eyes closed. Blaze steadily approached her, as quiet as possible. She didn't want to yell, thinking she would attract other people's attention. The woman slowly tilted her head upwards, still with her eyes closed.

"Stop right there" she suddenly spoke. Blaze froze in place and her heart turned to ice. The woman's voice was soft, but serious. Blaze didn't know what to do. She couldn't attack, the woman was innocent, but she might run and let everyone know of her presence. She just stared at her, wondering what she will do. "Shizuka, I know you were trying to scare me. Nice try" she said. Blaze raised a brow.

"Who?" she muttered. The woman turned to face her, and opened her eyes. She was clearly a young woman, early 20's at least. She was a thing of beauty, even Blaze could see that. Her eyes were a peculiar violet colour, the same as Blaze's fur. On her head was a red headband with a golden symbol on it. Blaze assumed it was some religious marking, going by her location. Her hair was very long, and jet-black. She didn't look at Blaze with fear or with aggression, instead she seemed perfectly calm. "I wasn't, uh, going to hurt you, I swear" Blaze added with slight fear in her voice.

"I know" she replied. Her words calmed Blaze down. She still stared at her though. "I heard you talking and coming down the hillside" she explained.

"How? I was being as quiet as possible. Besides, that waterfall is pretty loud" Blaze replied. The woman smiled.

"I learned. What's your name?" she asked. Blaze found this strange. The woman was asking a random creature her name, and all she knew about her was that she was creeping up on her.

"It's Blaze. Blaze the Cat." she explained. The woman looked at her with kind eyes.

"Blaze, huh? It's a nice name. You don't look like a cat though" she explained. Blaze found the words odd. Usually people were used to seeing animals like her.

"Uh, yeah. I know" she replied. She felt really awkward, and it was almost as if the woman could sense that. "Look, I really didn't mean to creep up on you. You looked like you were busy. Besides, I don't want anyone else to see me" she explained.

"Honestly, it's ok. Something about you tells me you have no ill intentions. Would you care to sit with me?" she asked. Blaze was taken back. Was the woman extremely kind to all strangers? She sat next to her, but with care. She didn't know if she was planning to lure her into a false sense of security. The human sat with her legs crossed and her hands resting between them, clasped. Blaze copied the pose; it felt right to do so, for reasons she couldn't explain. Blaze couldn't help but feel very out of place as the woman studied her with a gentle smile. They sat in silence for a short time, until Blaze broke the ice.

"So…do you have a name?" she asked. The woman smiled gently.

"It's Tomoe. I'm a Warrior Priestess" she replied softly. Blaze liked the name, but was confused by the title.

"I must say, 'Warrior' and 'Priestess' aren't two words I'd normally put together" she admitted. Tomoe actually giggled lightly.

"It might be strange, but it's what I am, trained from a young age" she replied. Blaze felt a strange connection with her, as she was the same growing up, to protect the Sol Emeralds. She raised an eyebrow.

"You're an extremely calm person, anyone ever tell you that?" she joked.

"If you're calm, you can be ready for anything" she replied with confidence. Blaze smiled at her, something she very rarely did.

"So, Tomoe. This is going to seem like a random question, maybe even 'crazy' but where am I?" she asked. Tomoe gave her a confused look.

"You don't know?"

"Busy day" lied Blaze.

"Well, you're in Hinomoto. The land of the Shrine Priestess" she beamed, casting a hand towards the landscape. "It shames me to say it, but the land isn't as beautiful as it may seem. Corruption lies around every corner. The princess's associates are constantly exploiting her kindness and…are you ok?" asked Tomoe. Blaze stared off into space after hearing the first four words in shock. There was no Hinomoto in her world, or in Sonic's.

"Uh oh…" she mumbled.

"Is something the matter?" Tomoe asked. Blaze looked towards her with a look of panic.

"You could say that, yes. I'm not from here, Tomoe. I'm from another world you could say" she explained out of the blue as if it was a perfectly normal thing to say. Tomoe seemed concerned at her ramblings.

"Another world? What do you mean?"

"I mean, another Earth. Another universe. I must have been brought here!" Blaze didn't seem to be talking to her anymore; it was more like she was talking to herself. "I have to find my friend! I have to find the other emeralds! I have to-" she panicked. Tomoe placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Calm down, Blaze. If you panic, you won't think straight. Relax for a bit" Tomoe's voice soothed her worries only slightly.

"Oh God, oh God, oh God" she muttered. It was like Déjà vu for Blaze. Last time she was randomly transported to a world, it was Sonic's and with her she brought Eggman Nega. She didn't want to put another world in danger. Her panic slowly left her system however. Unexplainably, she felt at ease next to Tomoe.

"Just close your eyes, and take deep breaths, like this" said Tomoe. She demonstrated what she meant, and clasped her fingers together with a smile. Blaze did the same. At first, she felt no different, she was just posing. After a while, the noise of the waterfall seemed to fade, and silence filled the air. She was at total peace, it didn't feel like she was sitting next to a random woman, or that she had things to do. Her mind became very 'at rest' as soft colors entered her head. It was a bizarre experience. She had meditated before, but nothing felt like this. Blaze put it down to where she was. Different worlds effecting her emotions sounded a little far fetched, but she didn't rule it out. After a while, she opened her eyes with a pleased sigh.

To her bewilderment, there was a tea tray in front of her for some bizarre reason, the contents of the cup still steaming. It wasn't there before. Blaze looked over to Tomoe. The young warrior was sipping diligently from hers without a care in the world. She turned towards the confused feline.

"Ah, you're back again. I don't know if you've meditated before, but you've certainly got the hang of it" she spoke softly. Blaze looked around. Night had fallen over the world, but it was only sunset a few seconds ago. Lights littered the paths below and the buildings were lit up.

"…How long was I out for?" she asked.

"About 3 hours?" replied Tomoe. Blaze's face froze.

"…What?" she said with a flat tone.

"I think its 3 hours anyway. Might be 4. I'm not entirely sure. Anyway, I got you some tea" she said, pointing to the tray. Blaze cautiously picked up the cup and sniffed it, just in case. It smelt just fine. "Sorry if it's not to your taste. I had no idea as to what's you'd like. Being a cat, I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't like it" she admitted. With a sip, she discovered it was a normal herbal tea, green tea as it turned out. Nothing wrong with it at all. Blaze actually found it pretty nice. She still couldn't fathom that she was sitting down for 4 hours straight, doing absolutely nothing. She didn't even feel numb.

"Nobody knows about me, do they?" Blaze asked quietly. Tomoe shook her head.

"No. We're pretty hard to spot up here, and I didn't tell anybody" she explained. "I doubt people would believe me anyway" she said. Blaze took a good look at Tomoe and noticed something. She didn't seem as 'cheerful' as before.

"Are you alright Tomoe? Is there something troubling you?" she asked. Tomoe turned towards her, slightly amazed.

"How did you know?"

"A combination of a lucky guess and being used to seeing when someone is troubled. What's wrong?" Blaze explained. Tomoe looked off to the distance, far beyond Hinomoto, towards a massive landmass far off the island.

"I've been chosen to fight" she replied.

"Fight where?"

"You know how I mentioned I'm a Warrior Priestess?" she asked. Blaze nodded back at her. "The Head Priestess has asked me fight in the Queen's Blade tournament. She says I could ease the corruption in these lands, but I'm not sure if I'm really the ideal candidate" she said quietly. "You see, she based this assumption on a vision"

"A vision? Not the best way to choose a fighter, is it? What's the Queen's Blade tournament?" Blaze asked.

"Women across the land fight to become the new queen of the continent. If I win, I could help Hinomoto, but still. A dream isn't much to go on" she explained. Blaze found it strange. Royalty was decided through heritage back in her world. She knew that better than anyone.

"Do you think you're a good fighter?" Blaze asked.

"I guess so. Always been the top in my classes growing up"

"Then if you have the confidence in yourself, why not?" she concluded.

"It's nice of you to say but-" Tomoe was cut off by an echo. It was like an explosion. The two stood up to see smoke billowing out of a building far off Hinomoto, on the far away landmass.

"What was that?!" Blaze exclaimed. She couldn't help but wonder if Eggman or Sonic was over there, and shuddered at the thought.

"Castle Vance. Looks like it's been attacked" replied Tomoe, with slight worry in her voice.

"Royalty?"

"No, only Count Vance and his daughters live there. I know very little about the place. I hope they're alright. Then again, it is the home to one of the most feared fighters in the continent" she said with a worried tone. She turned to Blaze who was looking far off, but not at the castle. "What's wrong?"

"…There is someone here" she whispered, "I can feel it". Tomoe tried to spot what she was referring to, but she couldn't. Blaze turned her attention to the temple nearby and suddenly spring to her feet. "We need to move" she whispered. Blaze darted away, making a beeline for the temple. Tomoe ran after her, just managing to keep up. Keeping above ground, Blaze carefully observed everything about the temple. Seemed normal, with priestess walking in and out like nothing was wrong. Then she saw it. Not too far from the temple, she stopped with Tomoe right behind her.

"Did you see it?" she asked.

"No, I don't even know what you're talking about!" Tomoe replied. Blaze pointed to the roof.

"There was someone right there. All black. They jumped out of that bottom window and just leapt right onto the roof" she muttered. She pointed to the bottom floor of the temple. "Tomoe, can you get me into there?"

"Easily, but why?"

"I want to see if I'm right. If I am, I want to see why they might be there" pleaded Blaze. Tomoe could tell she was being completely serious and nodded in response.

Slowly, they made their way down the hillside and approached the temple. Blaze zipped between the nearby buildings, moving so fast that nobody could have the time to see her. Tomoe didn't have that problem, but she was amazed by the speed which Blaze was moving at. They ran quickly up the side stairs to the window. It was small, but they could still squeeze through.

Inside they found themselves in a dark corridor with only a few candles providing a light source. Blaze looked around, making sure there wasn't any sign of someone coming out of a doorway to spot them. The place didn't seem at all suspicious. In front of them was a small door, left slightly ajar, with a faint fizzing sound emanating from it. Blaze walked forward and opened the door. Looking down, Blaze's heart jumped into her throat.

"Get back, now!" she screamed. Tomoe jumped backwards with a fright as Blaze slowly lifted up a large metal ball about the size of her head with a grunt. A thick fuse came from the top, and it was lit. Blaze instantly place her fingers on the flame, extinguishing it.

"Is that a bomb?!" cried Tomoe. Blaze yanked out the rest of the wick and examined the bomb. It had a symbol on it.

"I think this is your expertise" muttered Blaze, handing the bomb to her. It was heavier than she had anticipated as her knees buckled slightly. She studied the symbol, and just dropped the harmless explosive with an almighty thud, frozen in fear. "Uh, Tomoe?" asked Blaze.

"They're here" she whispered. Without another word, Tomoe bolted out of one of the doorways, racing through the rooms. Blaze ran after her.

"Whose here?! Tomoe!" she cried out. Bolting out the doors, Tomoe stopped dead and watched the sky with fright. The priestess outside didn't even notice Blaze's presence as they too looked to the sky. Several orange specks hovered in the air, getting closer and closer to the ground. They weren't stars, the were flaming arrows. Without a word, Blaze cast her hand towards the arrows and as if by magic, extinguished every single one of them. Tomoe watched as they embedded themselves into the buildings harmlessly before turning to Blaze.

"How did you do that?" she asked, astounded.

"I learned" she replied. Blaze turned back to the temple, watching it for a few moments. "Warn everyone. I have something to look at" she ordered, and ran back into the temple, sensing unusual movement.

An older woman stood among the crowds, not sure about what she just saw. Without another thought, Tomoe ran towards her. The many women all turned their heads to the running woman. "Tomoe, what's the matter?" she asked.

"Kouma. The Kouma Ninjas are here" she spoke quickly and with pure terror.

"Positive?"

"Positive. It's not just those arrows, there was a bomb inside the temple and their mark was etched into it. We need to get ready" she explained. The older woman suddenly turned and shouted towards the crowds.

"Everyone! Gather your weapons and prepare for battle! Gather by or inside the temple when you're ready!" she screamed. With total obedience, the crowds of women ran for their homes to acquire weapons. There was much talking and shouting among them. She turned back to Tomoe. "Where is Shizuka?" she asked. Tomoe didn't even consider her, too wound up with Blaze.

"I don't know" she replied. "I haven't seen her in a while" The woman shook her head.

"Grab your sword, Tomoe. I need you ready above everyone else" she whispered. With a nod, Tomoe ran back to where she was with Blaze.

She ran past numerous women, all ready for anything. After their training, they were expected to be ready. Lying by the pool of water was a red scabbard. Tomoe picked it up and placed it on her back, lifting the sword from within. The ancient samurai sword glistened in the moonlight. Inscribed on the blade in ancient writing was the name 'Kushinawa'. Gazing at her sword would have to wait as shouting spontaneously erupted from the courtyard by the temple. She bolted down the cliff side and towards the source of the shouting. To her horror, she found a group of priestesses against an army of men clad in all black, their faces obscured except the eyes. Swords and knives decorated their clothing, armed to kill as efficiently as possible. At the center, a man with long red hair with a smug grin on his face. The leader by the looks of it. He was a rather tall and imposing individual; though he didn't physically appear all that tough. At the center of the group of priestess was a woman in red, older and wiser. The Head Priestess rarely left the temple. Quickly, Tomoe joined the group at the back, staring in fear at the wave of black in front of her.

"The Kouma Ninjas have no right to be here" the Head Priestess said quietly, her voice slightly creaking. The young man snickered.

"We've thought of expanding our operations. In order to do that, we decided that a cull on you all was…required" he spoke softly. "We Kouma have always found ways of perfecting the art of killing. You'll all make great practice. We did think that a surprise attack would be more fun, but obviously our arrows had other ideas. No matter, a little battle will be fun nonetheless" he hissed.

"Try us! We're ready! We have all our best fighters ready inside the temple, and plenty more elsewhere! You wouldn't stand a chance" yelled one random woman. The man laughed out loud.

"You see?! You're pathetic! The Warrior Priestess, always thinking about themselves above others. We prepared a little surprise for you all in anticipation of our arrival. Take a look at your precious temple" he said, casting a hand over the building. The women all turned. Tomoe allowed the man's words to sink in a little bit, before realising what was actually going to happen. "…And how it burns to ash!" he yelled. The women all stared in shock as…nothing happened. The crowds stood in silence as the temple remained perfectly normal, the only audible noise being a light cough from one of the ninjas. The man's smile quickly disappeared as he turned to his men. "What is the meaning of this?! I asked for the temple to be destroyed!" he screamed. One of the men stood forward.

"I did plant the explosive as ordered, sir" he explained.

"Well, what went wrong?! First our arrows extinguish in mid-air, God knows how that happened, and then our bomb doesn't go off! This is deliberate isn't it? Who is interfering?!" the leader screamed at him.

"That would be me!" yelled a familiar voice. Everyone turned towards the lavender feline making her way down the stairs. The women all gasped in surprise. In her hand was the bomb from earlier. The Kouma leader was visibly angry, and his smugness drained.

"Who the hell are you?!" he demanded. Blaze ignored him as she casually tossed the bomb to the ground.

"Keep it as a souvenir" she quipped to some nearby women. Blaze made her way through the crowd of women until she was standing right before the leader himself, even in front of the head priestess. The priestess chatted among themselves regarding her involvement in it all. The young man stared her down, confused and angry. Awkwardly, Tomoe made her way forward to join her.

"Excuse me" she muttered, passing through the curious crowd. She stood next to the Head Priestess who looked just as concerned as the Kouma Ninja's leader.

"Oh, who I am is not really important, not to you anyway" Blaze said sternly. "Trying to blow up the temple? Setting the place on fire? Murder? It's unfortunate you picked tonight to try to attack this place. I've only been here a few hours you know, and I can say that this place is protected" she went on, narrowing her eyes.

"Silence you wretched animal!" he screamed. Blaze could feel herself burn from within out of tranquil fury.

"If I were you, I'd choose your next words very carefully" she warned quietly. The leader laughed again, this time his men joining in with a snigger.

"Don't make me laugh. Ok, sure you stopped the bomb, but you won't stop us!" he yelled. His men all drew their weapons as metallic sounds filled the air. The leader pointed his sword at Blaze's face. She didn't even flinch.

"Really? Tell me, do you guys have psychic powers?" she asked. The leader's smile dropped.

"What?" he asked, bewildered.

"I ask because you guys all got here really fast. In the blink of an eye. Impressive. Teleportation is a wonderful thing, isn't it?" she went on, pacing from left to right. "I bet you guys had everything all planned out and everything under control, like you predicted it all. But you didn't see me coming did you?" she taunted.

"We don't even know who you are" he replied. Blaze grinned at him.

"I must be the one with psychic powers then, because now I can tell you're wondering why your men haven't burst out of temple with blood on their hands. I can tell you if you'd like. Picture mounts of ash on the floor, and imagine the ash as the remnants of your men" she continued, flames licking off her eyelashes. The leader seemed visibly taken back by her comments. "Oh I found them alright; For ninjas, they made a ton of noise. Trust a man to let his pervese instincts take over. Your men were trying to assault some poor woman in there. It's just as well I turned up. Let me just say I made very quick work of them" she announced. The priestess looked back towards the temple as women started to walk out, armed with swords. The priestess eventually numbered evenly with the ninjas.

"They're supposed to be dead!" the leader cried.

"Well it's a good thing I'm here, isn't it? The thing is this isn't the first time I've dealt with a threat like you. Let me show you" she snarled. Before her, flames appeared hovering in the sky. They formed shapes of different objects, like a light display. Everyone gazed in wonder at the fire with the exception of Tomoe, who stared at the cat in front of it all. "Where I'm from, I've seen and fought countless enemies" she said aloud. The flames formed the moving shapes of various robots of different sizes. Everything from small drones to massive mechas. "You're not the first I've ever fought, oh there have been plenty before you" Blaze continued. The leader stared, shaking in fear of the things he saw. The flames made the image of a rather portly mam with a massive mustache grinning ear to ear in the sky before reforming into a man similar to him. A large lizard-like creature whirled out of fire before turning into a massive metal machine floating in the dead of space. "And what you've got to ask is… what happened to them?"

The flames became moving images of battle with sparks and gunfire being simulated by the fire. Destruction and chaos filled the air as it showed triumph after triumph. Robots were shown being torn to shreds and massive mechas collapsed on the spot. The last image was of Blaze and a weird spiky figure flying right towards a metal being, exploding as they collided. The flames faded quickly as everyone stood in wonder and terror of the feline before them. The Kouma Ninjas could be heard whimpering at what was before them. Even the leader seemed horrified as the cat grinned malevolently.

"To answer your question from earlier, my name is Blaze the Cat" she announced. Tomoe couldn't help but smile at her as she taunted the ninjas. "Here's some friendly advice…" she began, her grin disappearing and being replaced with an aggressive frown, her eyes like daggers at the army in front of her.

_"…Run"_

For a brief moment, nothing happened. Then one by one the ninjas turned and fled out of sheer fear of what would happen. The more they saw flee, the more inclined they were to join them. Still with a straight face. Blaze crossed her arms as they ran away. They didn't attack anything, they just fled for their lives.

The leader of the ninjas snarled as he put his hands together. "RANA FORM. ASSEMBLE!" he cried. Blaze remained stoic as the ninjas before her melted into slimy, scaly forms. Even the ninjas running collapsed into a pile of scales. The blobs of flesh seemed to move together and combine as they molded into each other. The pile grew and grew. The leader even melted away with a psychotic grin. Blaze turned towards the women.

"Alright, I want you all to get into the temple. It's made of stone, should be good protection" she ordered calmly.

"Who put you in charge?" asked the Head Priestess with an aggressive tone. "As far as I know, you brought them here!" she yelled. A woman stood between her and Blaze, defiantly.

"You saw the things she did, Head Priestess. I can vouch for her that she's on our side, now listen to her and just go" said Tomoe with a frightened tone. Blaze couldn't tell if she was scared of the ninjas or telling off her own leader. The Head Priestess glared at her as she led the women into the temple.

"Follow me girls!" she cried. Tomoe and Blaze turned back to the ninjas. The pile was now around 5 stories tall, blocking the moonlight. Large reptilian eyeballs plopped out of the 'head' of the being, followed by a large open mouth.

"You have to be joking" muttered Blaze as she stared at the monster before her.

"What do we do?!" screamed Tomoe.

"Simple. We take it down"

"Something that size?! Impossible!" she screamed.

"Please, I've seen bigger". She ran towards it to get its attention. "HEY! DOWN HERE! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!" she screamed. The frog-like creature turned to face her. "You should have followed my advice! You should have run for your lives!" she warned. The frog opened its mouth and roared. The hot blast blew them back a little, and the smell was wretched. In the sudden gust of wind, Tomoe's kimono was blown open, revealing her bare torso. Blaze's jaw dropped as a result.

"Uh, Tomoe? I doubt the power of 'distract' is going to help. Close your damn gown!" she yelled. Tomoe pulled it back over with a red face and instinctively reached for her sword. Blaze refocused her mind on the monster.

"WELL COME OOOOON THEN! LET'S SEE WHAT YOU'VE GOT!" she screamed. The frog opened its mouth, baring its massive tongue as thick as a tree truck. It whipped down towards them as Blare prepared to dodge it. To her surprise the tongue fell wildly to the left as it was sliced in two, with the top falling to their left, crushing the some of the stairs beside them. The frog reacted in pain as it whipped through the air. To her amazement, Blaze found Tomoe with her sword bared, purple blood running down the blade. To Blaze, Tomoe didn't even move a muscle.

"Unbelievable" she said. Tomoe kept a straight face, keeping her eye on the frog.

"We're far from done" she warned, as the frog turned back and roared.

"Hey, want to see something cool?"

"Sure"

"Watch this!" Blaze pushed her arms out as streaks and balls of fire shot out of her hands. The jet of flames struck the creatures eyes and mouth, reacting violently to the attack. Burn marks were etched into its flesh. In its roars, it stomped around randomly, making its moves unpredictable.

"Impressive" remarked Tomoe. Blaze almost felt disappointed she wasn't more amazed. Blaze elegantly leaped into the air and onto the roof of a tall structure as it regained its perspective. Tomoe watched from below as Blaze shot more flames right at it, only this time it didn't react the same. Instead, it spat a great wave of what looked like slime at Blaze. Looking for higher ground, Tomoe made her way into the temple opposite the creature. The substance splashed on Blaze like a wave, as a putrid smell emanated from it. To her horror, Blaze found she couldn't move at all, totally petrified in the ooze. Upon closer inspection, she noticed her clothing start to melt away. In an embarrassed fury, she covered her body in fire in an attempt to burn off the substance. She stopped her clothes from melting and it was slowly burning off but she was still stuck. The frog seemed to croak as if it was laughing in triumph. Given the leader was part of the abomination, it was likely. What was left of its tongue rolled out of its mouth, ready to swing up and crush the feline.

"Over here!" cried a female voice. The frog turned to see Tomoe poking her head out of the temple. She got its attention, and she bolted for the stairs as the frog's tongue slammed against the wall, shaking the building, losing her footing with every slam. Priestess huddled together in sheer fear in the floors below, the Head Priestess praying loudly for help.

Eventually Tomoe made it to the roof, face to face with the beast. Reaching inside her kimono, she pulled out 3 cards with black symbols etched into them. The cards started to burn an unnatural blue flame as they started to rotate around her. The frog prepared to strike as Tomoe stretched her arm towards it. The cards suddenly flew right at its eyeball. On impact, the cards exploded, knocking the creature to the right. It was Blaze's turn to be impressed. The eye was destroyed as black blood spurted through the air. With the slime finally melted, Blaze broke out of her trap, and leapt off the structure and onto the frog. In a swift movement, she leapt off its head and gracefully landed next to Tomoe. The frog roared on last time at them, sounding as if it was in extreme pain.

"Ok, we have to end this thing now" said Blaze, panting with exhaustion.

"I have an idea" replied Tomoe. She unsheathed her sword. "On the count of 3 we strike it, right down the middle" she explained.

"You sure that will work?"

"We have to try" she replied. Fire whirled around Blaze's arms as she got ready to attack, the flames getting more and more intense. Tomoe began to physically feel the power coming from her. The frog started to move towards them in an attempt to ram them.

"3…2…" The frog's tongue flopped out of its gaping mouth, ready to strike.

"1…"

"Now!" she shouted. They both leapt high up into the air as the frog watched helplessly with one eye. Bright, violet flames gathered at Blaze's hands, getting brighter and more powerful.

"Take this!" she screamed. To her left, Tomoe had her sword raised high above her head, the blade blooming with a red hue in the moonlight.

"Warrior Priestess secret technique! Helmet Cleaver!" She yelled. Simultaneously they brought their attacks right down on the beast. A jet of violet fire struck it between the eyes, providing something of a target for Tomoe. A red beam of light slashed right down the middle as her blade collided with its head. The beam didn't stop at the head, as it cut right through the frog's body, Blaze's fire burning it from within. Blaze's eyes burned with fury as the frog pitifully tried roar in pain. Priestess watched from the windows of the temple in awe as the two slashed the monster right in two. Blood streamed to the ground as one of the halves collapsed. There were no innards to the being, just a black mass of flesh. Blaze landed graciously on the ground below on her two feet. Tomoe landed next to her, unharmed at the fall. The both watched as the once Kouma Ninjas blew away to dust.

"Aren't they going to change back?" asked Blaze with a pant.

"They gave their bodies to form the creature, unwillingly in some cases. They're all gone" answered Tomoe. People started coming from the temple, slowly and carefully. They all gazed at the lone combatants. They all watched as the dead reptile began to blow away in the wind, as if it was made of dust. Blaze and Tomoe both glanced at each other as smiles slowly appeared their faces, before laughing triumphantly, pulling each other into a friendly hug. The Head Priestess watched the embrace.

"If you are both quite finished...", she yelled. The two realised exactly what they were doing and awkwardly let go of each other and turned to the woman, Tomoe red in the face. She walked down towards them, with her eyes on Blaze specifically. She stood before her, just glaring. Blaze felt fire beginning to build up from within, anticipating another battle. Out of nowhere, the woman bowed before her. The priestesses behind her also did the same.

"I thank you. I don't know who you are, where you're from, or even_ what you are,_ but if you didn't remove their bomb or their men, they would surely have the advantage on us. I shudder to think what would have happened then" she spoke softly.

"Not a problem, Miss-uh, Miss. It was instinct really" replied Blaze.

"I mean it. Call it selfish, but if you hadn't angered the leader and got that things attention, he would have just attacked everyone else. We could have been wiped out if it wasn't for you" she continued. Blaze looked up to Tomoe.

"You should thank your top student really. It was Tomoe who killed the thing" she said. The woman turned to her.

"Of course. Your performance has only confirmed my visions, Lady Tomoe" she spoke softly. "I have full confidence that you will win the Queen's Blade tournament for Hinomoto" Her face turned solemn for a moment, looking back to Blaze.

"That's not the last of the Kouma Ninjas I'm afraid. They'll return for revenge eventually" she sighed. Blaze stepped forward.

"Then tell them what happened here. Tell them what became of their fellow fighters. Let them know how they were quickly and easily they were put down, and then tell them what I told them to do…Tell them to run for their lives and never look back" said Blaze with a confident attitude. The Head Priestess beamed.

"Perhaps you would like to travel with Tomoe. Clearly you two make a pretty effective duo" she suggested. Tomoe looked to Blaze with a soft smirk, though Blaze was hesitant. She took out the purple Sol Emerald and examined it. It glowed to her touch.

"Perhaps. I need to find the rest of these, along with my friend and my enemy for that matter" she said. She thought about it for a moment. Surely traveling the continent with someone would be the most effective way of finding the remaining emeralds. "…apart from that, sure" she replied, putting her other hand on Tomoe's shoulder, still holding the emerald. "I'll travel with you-" Blaze was cut short with a gasp. Energy violently blasted out of her eyes and into Tomoe's. Tomoe stood mouth agape as pinkish energy flowed into her head. The Head Priestess stood back with fear.

"By God, what are you doing?!" she screamed, but she didn't get any reply. For a second, it was as if they were locked together. The sound of thunder filled the air as the energy ceased flowing. With a pained cry, they both clutched their heads.

"What happened?!" yelled Blaze, never seeing such a reaction from the emeralds. "Tomoe, are you ok?!" she asked loudly. Tomoe looked towards her with wide, frightened eyes, breathing heavily. She took a deep breath and as she exhaled, swirls of pink energy flowed out of her mouth. The three watched it as it vanished into the air.

"What was that?" she asked in shock.

"I-I really have no idea! That's never happened before! I never commanded it or anything! It was as if it was reacting to something" she replied.

"Did you corrupt her?!" screeched the Head Priestess. Blaze turned to her with a grimace.

"Of course not! Why the hell would I do that?! Tomoe is the first person I've met since I appeared here, one of nicest I might add. So why would I want to harm her?" she exclaimed. Tomoe remained quiet.

"What do you mean, 'appeared here'" questioned the Head Priestess. Blaze's ears lowered as she sighed with despair.

"It's a long story, but know this. I need to find the rest of these emeralds" Blaze held up the emerald again as it sparked and crackled. "Now. Where is this Queen's Blade tournament?" she asked.

"Across the water" replied Tomoe, pointing to the distant landmass. "That's Gynos. The capital is where it's being held. Blaze crossed her arms.

"What's the name of the capital?"

"…Gynos"

"Imaginative naming" she quipped.

"We leave in the morning"

"No. We go now, Tomoe" ordered Blaze.

"Excuse me?"

"When I was brought here, so was another man, a very dangerous man. If we waste time, who knows what he'll do. We need to start now" she warned with a serious frown. The Head Priestess looked like she was about to say something, before deciding against it.

"I understand. I suppose getting there earlier wouldn't hurt" she admitted. "We will go tonight" Tomoe turned towards the Head Priestess, who nodded before walking off. Tomoe turned back to Blaze.

"Thank you by the way" said Blaze.

"What for?"

"You saved my life. That thing got me pretty good at one point" she said. Tomoe noticed Blaze's clothing was damaged, as it if had been burned.

"You're going to need new clothes" she said. Blaze looked at the damage. Closing her eyes, her body started to glow as the fabric began to mend itself.

"Clothing regeneration. Waste of energy really, but useful" she muttered to herself. Her body ceased glowing. Tomoe watched, amazed at the sight. A cat with the power over fire, truly her night couldn't get any weirder.

"You're full of surprises, Miss Blaze" said Tomoe. Blaze held out her hand.

"I have so much more in store" she responded with a grin. Tomoe shook her hand as they walked off towards the docks.

"By the way, Blaze, what was your friend's name?" asked Tomoe.

"His name is Sonic the Hedgehog" she replied.

"Boyfriend?" she questioned. Blaze's face turned bright red.

"N-No. He's just a friend" she stuttered, barely concealing her discomfort.

"Well, I'm sure we'll find him" comforted Tomoe. Blaze looked towards the Castle Vance, smoke still billowing from it. To Blaze, it seemed like fate was trying to drop some not-so-subtle hints.

"I hope so"


	3. Chapter 3: Upgrade

**(A/N: Thanks to those who stuck with it so far. I don't claim to be the best writer, but if you decided to keep interest, then I'm doing something right.****)**

"…So like that, the blue hedgehog gets smashed out-of-the-way, like POW! Then the pink blob thingy gets ready to kill him, and then that Vance lady comes up behind her and SLASH! Head comes right off!" shouted Nanael, swinging her arm like sword, acting out the parts. She floated in front of the Head Angel and Hachiel, detailing her 'report'. "Turns out it was just a lucky hit since she immediately got knocked to the ground pretty bad. That blue thing then came up behind the pink chick and stabbed her with something. She began inflating and the girl and the blue thing jumped off, the pink girl blew up, they and ran into the forest! It was awesome!" she squealed excitedly. The Head Angel seemed less enthusiastic.

"_So what exactly did you learn about the blue hedgehog? Did he have a name?" _she asked. Nanael's happiness started to drain.

"I…uh, I didn't _quite_ get that part. Only reason I knew it was a hedgehog because I heard some crazy lady scream as they ran off. She said 'I want that hedgehog's head on a fu-'" The Head Angel raised her hand.

"_That's plenty, Nanael" _she said softly. "_While you were at the castle, another event occurred at the same time. Where was it again, Hachiel?_" she asked. Hachiel cleared her throat.

"Hinomoto. A ninja clan looked like they were going to attack the place, but then this purple cat-like thing spoke to them. Then they started to run away. They did try to transform into a frog, but that was put down fairly quickly by both the cat and a priestess. Before I came back, they were getting on a boat" she explained. Nanael glared at her with irritated eyes.

"And when did you see this?" she asked.

"When you were sent to the castle, I was sent to check up on you, and that's when I saw what was happening at Hinomoto" she said firmly.

"What, can I not be trusted with my job?!" screeched Nanael, like a spoiled child.

"_It was just to make sure. You did what was asked, and that's what is important"_ she said. Nanael crossed her arms, as if she was in a huff. Maybe she goofed off once…or twice…maybe she was known for goofing off, but not this time.

"_More than anything, we need to find out where they came from, and if they are a threat to our world. Nanael, I want you to-_"

"Go down there, find them, and ask for sure who they are?" she asked with a flat expression.

"_You're learning"_ joked the Head Angel. A small titter came from Hachiel. Nanael rolled her eyes.

"Well, looks like I'm off hunting blue hedgehogs now. Does my life as an angel get any more exciting?" she asked sarcastically. With that, she headed below the clouds, to the Earth below.

"_You know what's the really disturbing thing about your story Hachiel?" _asked the Head Angel quietly.

"What's that?"

"_Those women would have all died, bar two, if that cat wasn't there"_

* * *

"So…about your sister"

"What about her?"

"What's her deal?" Sonic asked bravely. Family matters were private matters, but the behavior of Elina really confused him. He had met many characters in his time, but Elina was a whole new class of 'odd'. He wondered whither asking such a question to a woman carrying a sword and shield on her back was really a wise idea.

"She's just a little sister, that's all really"

"Leina, I heard her saying she was going to make your future wedding a living hell for the guy you marry. Before that, it looked like she was trying to cop a feel when I first brought you back" he said bluntly. Leina shot him a glare. She didn't like having a commentary on her sister's actions, even if he was perfectly right. She sighed.

"She's just like that. I can't accurately explain it" said with a bitter tone. Sonic brought his attention back to the forest they were busy walking through, deciding not to pursue the matter further. They had only been walking for two minutes since escaping Castle Vance with their lives. They followed the faint pillar of smoke in the air, hoping to find Tails. Sonic knew it was probably a lost cause. He didn't even know if Blaze was even alive; let alone the same world as him. At least he had company.

"Can we stop for the night?" asked Leina. Sonic looked back to see her somewhat weary and tired looking. "I know we haven't been going long, but it's pretty late already" she said quietly. Leina sat down next to a thick tree, exhausted. The stress of the night's events had taken their toll. Rest was on her mind.

"As long as you don't mind sleeping among trees, I suppose. But we have to keep going first thing in the morning" he replied. Feeling the cold breeze on his fur, Sonic gave a small shiver. More than anything, they needed some form of warmth. Looking around, there seemed to be a nice collection of branches lying around. Leina looked up to see the blue hedgehog turn into a blur as he zipped back and forth from where they were, and the collection of nearby trees. Each time he ran back, more and more wood appeared at the centre, as if out of nowhere. Leina struggled to keep track of the blue blur, her eyes trying to move as fast as he was. Stones started to circle the pile of firewood until it was complete. Sonic stopped moving and sat at the side of the fire, scraping two sticks together, as if nothing had happened. He looked back at the bewildered woman.

"Something up?" he asked with a sly grin. Leina blinked a few times.

"…Nope. Nothing's up" Smoke started to emanate from the sticks as Sonic threw them in into the pile. Flames started to creep out of the pile, eventually becoming a small fire.

"That should do us for tonight, so at least we won't freeze to death" said Sonic reassuringly. He sat next to Leina, putting his hands near the flames. The heat would do perfectly. To some, hiding out in the forest at night with only a fire to keep you warm would be the worst situation to be in. For Sonic, it was an average night. "Do you think they will come looking for us?" he asked.

"No doubt. Their success is questionable though. I mean, we've got to be a few miles away after you carried me. Plus, we're in a forest. They won't have much luck" Leina's tone was very hopeful. After years of wanting to run away to fight, she got her wish. She'll be damned if some guards were going to stop her now. She nudged a little closer to the hedgehog. "So, tell me about yourself, Sonic. Guy like you from another world must have some interesting stories to tell" she asked. Sonic looked up to the starry sky, thinking back to his past.

"You could say that. I've lived a relatively short life, but I've seen a few things" he began. "From a young age, I have been running around the place, trying to be the best I can. Stopped a mad scientist more than enough times, but each time has been a new adventure" his voice became softer as he mentally travelled through time. Leina listened attentively.

"I've seen things you wouldn't believe, Leina. I've fought chaos itself, done battle with a robotic counterpart of myself and I've even ran about with my younger self, always trying to save the day! I've saved my world more times than I can count. I've had help of course. The people I know, just the people I know…" he said happily, think back to the many faces he's gotten to know over time. "I've been places, which I can say with confidence. Lush green hills, massive cities with roads like a racetrack, great alien worlds. Best part? I'm not done yet" He turned to Leina. "I mean I've come here and met you, haven't I? A whole new world with new people, right out of the blue" he said with a smirk. "Everything is an adventure" he concluded.

"I hope that's true" Leina replied quietly. She sat admiring the flickering flames and thought about her life. Compared to Sonic's it was very dull and uninteresting. She lamented this for a small period. All she ever really knew was her two sisters and her father. Home school prevented her from making friends as well. Maybe things would be different. Maybe she'll meet friends, become a great warrior like she hoped, meet someone nice and-

"Leina? You ok there?" he asked, visibly concerned. She was just staring aimlessly at the fire like a cave-woman. She suddenly jerked upwards, shaking her head.

"Hm, what? Oh. Sorry about that Sonic" she said drearily, rubbing her eyes. She didn't know if she was just lost in thought or really tired. "I was miles away" Sonic looked back to the stars. She stretched her arms out into the air and bent back with a yawn, the remains of her breast-plate squeezing against her. She couldn't sleep with it on; it'd be too uncomfortable, especially with the broken edges prodding her stomach. She looked at her non-existent wound once more, feeling where it would be. The idea of knowing she had a hunk of metal sticking out of her moments ago made her feel uneasy. Her wish to become a warrior would have her in worse situations, this she knew well. She needed training, and quick, but that was a bridge she'd cross later. Right now, she needed her rest.

She removed the belts keeping her armour strapped to her body and dumped them next to her. Carefully, she took off the plate, which felt much lighter than before thanks to its destruction, and let it fall to the ground with a light thud. Instantly, she felt much more comfortable and looser. Reaching round, she removed the one on her back as well.

"Whoa! What are you doing!?" Sonic's voice made her freeze in place. Somehow she forgot she wasn't actually alone in the forest. Her dream always saw her doing things alone, and that part escaped into her tired mind.

"I! Uh, I forgot that, uh!" she stuttered in a panic, covering herself, her face bright red. Sonic quickly spun round facing the opposite direction, his face turning the same colour of a certain red echidna he knew.

"It's fine! It's fine!" he shouted back, just as embarrassed. He breathed a heavy sigh. "You might be human, but give me a warning to turn away next time!" he explained, almost laughing. Leina lay down on the hard ground, facing away from the hedgehog. The fire's warmth felt extremely welcoming, though she couldn't tell if it was her embarrassment or the fire providing the most heat to her body.

"It was just so I could be more comfortable. You try sleeping with metal strapped to you" she explained quietly. Sonic shook his head and lay down on the ground, making extra sure to face _away_ from Leina as he did so. The atmosphere was awkward but peaceful, with the only sounds being the crackling of the timber. Sonic slowly closed his eyes in an attempt to fall asleep. It was easy for him to sleep in the middle of nowhere. Exploring the world would be difficult if he had to run home whenever it got dark. Leina didn't find it as easy, being used to soft beds and pillows. The 'Wandering Warrior' didn't like the 'Wandering' part already, and it was her first night away.

"Sonic?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think tomorrow we'll find a place with beds?"

"Yeah, sure. We'll keep on going on" he said quietly.

"Thanks by the way"

"What for?"

"For letting me come with you. Not sure where I would start if I was on my own"

"Hey, it's not a problem. Now try to get some rest. Goodnight Leina" he said quietly.

"Night" Leina wasn't sure she'd sleep all that well, but she'd try. She filled her mind with the thoughts from before, of what she wanted to be and do. With a soft smirk, she slowly fell asleep. Ironically, Sonic had the worst trouble. He couldn't stop thinking about what happened. Blaze was gone, Eggman was gone, and Leina had saw the same event he did. He didn't want to bring it up, she would fear the worst. Making the effort to cast the thoughts aside, Sonic slowly began to lose consciousness.

* * *

"I hate boats"

"Admittedly, I'm not a fan either" Tomoe and Blaze stood at the side of the small sail ship, watching the land of Hinomoto fade from view at a tortuously slow rate. They wouldn't land at Gynos until noon the following day, meaning for over 12 hours, they were stuck on a boat. There was a small crew on board. A handful of men and women, but the majority of them were asleep or doing very minor tasks down below, like cleaning.

"The last time I was on a ship like this, we had robots firing at us all the time. At least there was entertainment back then, even if it was in the form of danger" Tomoe stood amused at Blaze's ramblings.

"Is that what that little display to the Komua was? All your victories?"

"My darkest days more like" she replied, her heart heavy with the memories of her past battles. She looked towards the water, the reflection of the moon rippling before her.

"Still though, I'm glad I have you with me, Blaze. A brave woman like you makes the perfect companion" said Tomoe. Blaze didn't know whether she liked the term "companion" but she didn't want to bring it up. Something about the young priestess made her feel at ease. Clearly, she wasn't someone to be messed with either. Blaze narrowed her eyes.

"Why doesn't it strike you as odd?" she asked out of the blue. Tomoe turned to her.

"What's odd?"

"Me. The emeralds, everything that happened. I appear out of nowhere, you don't know who I am, I don't know who you are, and when I'm pre-occupied, you decide to fetch tea. After that, we take down a giant frog made up of homicidal maniacs, and now we're on a boat. None of this freaks you out?" Blaze asked with concern. Tomoe didn't seem fazed by the commentary of what happened.

"Not really. It's like fate. What happened has happened. You weren't hostile to me, why should I have been to you?" Tomoe's words struck Blaze as even weirder.

"I suppose I'm used to it. All my life I've had to deal with random acts of violence and suspicious acts. When something new turns up, my instinct tells me to ignore it or fight it. I've driven so many people away like that" she said sadly.

"But you have that friend of yours, what was his name again? Sonic?" A soft smile crept onto Blaze's face.

"Sonic the Hedgehog. The day I met him, my life changed for the better. I used to do things on my own, never bothering with anyone else's help. Then he showed up. With a few others, I changed my tone. I accepted help as strength than a weakness. I got friends for once, rather than more enemies. If things were different, I would have been furious at myself for letting you save me from being crushed by that creature" she admitted with a sigh. "Seems my life is destined this way. Never a chance to properly rest"

"You need to think a little more positively. We'll find Sonic, and we'll find those emeralds as well. You said it yourself. You found friends willing to help you out, just like you have now" said Tomoe with a smile. Blaze looked to the warrior priestess with kind eyes.

"You might be one of the nicest people I've ever met, Lady Tomoe" Blaze's tone of voice sounded brighter.

"Thank you. I get the feeling we'll get along just fine"

"Don't jinx it" replied Blaze with a chuckle. They both looked towards the landmass that was Gynos in anticipation of getting there, even if they wouldn't be there for a good while. "So, how does a woman like you earn the title 'Warrior Priestess' then?" asked Blaze, trying to keep the conversation going.

"I was brought up that way. From a young age, I was trained to fight. It wasn't as bad as it sounds mind you. Think of it as a hobby. The best become warrior priestesses"

"What about the ones who aren't the best?"

"They just become your typical priestess. They still fight, but they aren't expected to, if you get what I mean" concluded Tomoe. Blaze sighed lightly.

"Brought up to fight from a young age? What you're best at? Geez, we were made for each other" replied Blaze. They were not so different after all.

"What about you? How did you get the power of the flame?"

"That's for me to know, and you to probably never find out. Sorry" Blaze replied firmly. The origin of her flames wasn't a memory she really wanted to discuss.

"I apologize, just trying to get to know you better"

"It's cool. Just not that question"

"Well, what were you doing before you came here?"

"I was with Sonic, taking on Dr. Eggman in yet another one of his machines"

"Was that the overweight man in the flames from before?"

"Yep. Before we could act, there was this bright flash of light. Next thing I knew, I was on that cliff face"

"Hm. I don't think I could cope in your world. All this talk of metal machines, emeralds which harness great power and the trouble you come across would probably make me give up"

"Nah, I think you'd be fine. To be honest, it's not that bad. It's just the risk that's there" she responded. Blaze stretched her arms into the air and yawned, flames forming around her arms as she did so. "Where are the beds again?"

"Down below, they're more hammocks really"

"Sleeping on hammocks on a boat. This is new" she said tiredly, making her way down below to their temporary bedroom. It was a rather cramped wooden room, barely any space to move. Hanging from the roof was a pair of hammocks, barely swaying with the movement of the boat. In between them was a lantern with was the only source of light in the room. Blaze suddenly missed her bed back home.

"We're so getting a hotel when we get to land" muttered Blaze. She made her way to the one of the beds and jumped onto it. Though she would have preferred a pillow and a blanket, the hammock was comfortable enough. Tomoe moved to the one opposite her, and got on. She turned to face Blaze. "I suppose you're lucky to wear that kimono of yours. Works as ideal clothing for the day and night" remarked Blaze. "Very quick question though. You're a fighter, right?"

"Correct"

"…Why don't you wear any armour?" she asked. "That isn't going to protect you from much and, well, you're not wearing anything under it" Tomoe didn't let it bother her.

"Tradition. All the warrior priestesses wear this. Besides, I'm dressed quite well compared to some of the other fighters typically in the Queen's Blade tournament"

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see, believe me. A friend of mine back in Hinomoto was a prime example"

"Was it that Skizuka girl you mentioned once?"

"Correct. She ran from the Kouma Ninjas recently, but she never dropped the trend of her choice of clothes. She had nothing to hide, let's put it that way" she said. Blaze became slightly concerned.

"Why didn't I meet Shizuka?"

"When I was meditating, she was meant to join me. I don't know where she went" she responded. Blaze's eyes lowered.

"An ex-member of the ninjas disappears the same night when they attacked? Sounds pretty suspicious to me" Tomoe frowned at her accusations.

"What's the supposed to mean?"

"I mean I think she hasn't quite left the Kouma"

"She wouldn't do that…would she?"

"I'm not saying she would, but it would be unwise to think she wouldn't. Not trying to drive you two apart if you're friends, but still" she explained. Tomoe knew at the back of her head that it might be true. She was gone the entire time when the ninjas attacked. Tomoe's mood sank at the thought. "Hey, don't dwell on it. The ninjas failed to kill you all. No matter who planned it, the plan still failed. You and everyone else lived" she finished. "Now, let's try to get some sleep" she said, raising her hand to the lantern. The flames extinguished on command, rendering the room in total darkness.

Blaze made the effort to fall asleep as fast as possible, blanking out her mind of any troubling thoughts. She just wanted rest above all else. Tomoe on the other had stared towards where Blaze lay, thinking about everything she said. Was Shizuka involved in the attack? Where was she? Would they reach the city of Gynos safely? Even as Tomoe lost consciousness, the questions continued to race through her mind like the wind.

* * *

Birds sang to each other as the morning sun rose above the trees. The fire had long since given out, leaving only charcoal. Sonic's eyes slowly opened to the sight of the sideways forest. For a small while, it was almost as if he wasn't in another place in time and space. He slept surprisingly well through the night. He listened to the sound of the world around him. The wind rustled the leaves, the birds sang loudly. One noise sounded out-of-place though.

Sonic rolled onto his other side to find Leina wide-awake. She was just replacing the belts that held her breast-plate in place. She seemed slightly chipper, humming quietly to herself a melody he couldn't quite place.

"Sleep well?" he asked. Leina turned to him, pleased to see him.

"Yeah. I did actually" Leina finished up tightening the belts. "Arms and legs hurt though because of the ground, but I'm fine otherwise. What about you?"

"Slept just fine. I'm used to it" he said. With a grunt, he got up and stretched his limbs. "So! First things first. Find Tails if we can. Second…uh"

"Go to Gynos?"

"Yeah, that place. How far away is it again?" he asked.

"I'd say 'pretty far'" she said bluntly. Sonic rolled his eyes.

"I'm not carrying you all the way"

"Wasn't asking" she replied. Leina got up and bent backwards. A small click could be heard as she did so, letting out a satisfied moan.

"Oh my God, that was so needed" she said with glee. She moved her arms back and forth, stretching them out. "Right! Onwards!" she said excitedly and marched off…and immediately fell to the ground, with a thud. Sonic failed to suppress his laughter, clutching his stomach. Leina glared at him.

"Are you ok, Leina? Are you hurt, Leina?" she mockingly asked. Sonic stopped laughing and walked over to her, offering her a hand up.

"Sorry. It was just the enthusiasm that made that great" he giggled. Leina refused his help and stood up on her own, brushing herself off. She looked down at the ground where she fell, and more importantly, what she fell over.

It was a small metal object with 2 wheels on either side. She picked it up carefully. Her little collision with it crushed the front end slightly.

"Hang on, let me see that" Sonic went up and studied the small object. It was yellow with a small red light on the top of it. On the side was a symbol of two yellow fox tails, side by side. He grinned happily, noting the small dirt tracks on the ground.

"What is it?" asked Leina. Sonic gave her grin.

"A distress beacon. Come on! Let's follow these tracks" he said with glee. He blasted off, after the tracks. Leina stood still for a moment, looking at the beacon in her hand, and then back to where Sonic left.

"Hey! Wait up!" she cried, giving chase. He was out of sight, lost among the trees. Leina followed the tracks on the ground. The beacon appeared to swerve around anything in its path. Leina wondered how far it went for. Any distance was short for Sonic; he could just blast through the forest in seconds. She couldn't. She began to think that Sonic forgot that little fact. It felt like it went on for ages. Panting, Leina caught glimpse of a strange sight between the trees. As she broke through, the sight before her struck her as otherworldly.

It was like a large metal capsule, about 2 stories high and about the length of a small house. It was all white with no visible scratches or dents, as if it was there the whole time. A few small windows decorated the sides. The only evidence it wasn't there before was the clear indent it made on the dirt beneath it. It was like it had landed there. Before her was Sonic, facing the weird looking building. He seemed concerned.

"Tails! You there?! It's me! We found your beacon!" he shouted. Suddenly, there was a loud click, as the front of the building opened up, smoke escaped through the opening as the panel smashed to the ground with a heavy thud. Leina stood with her heart racing as a shadow appeared behind the smoke. It stood there, observing the two before it. The fox stumbled forward, coughing into a hand. Sonic instantly ran up to him.

"Tails! You're ok!" he yelled happily, raising a hand for a high-five. Tails returned it, beaming with happiness.

"Course I'm ok! I'm just glad that you are!"

"What happened?" asked Sonic, wasting no time.

"It's a long story, but I can explain it quickly inside and…who is that?" he asked, pointing to the confused woman behind him. She kept staring at him.

"Oh! How could I forget?" replied Sonic, walking up to her. "This is Leina Vance. I met her almost immediately when I woke up. Granted she was out cold at that point, but still counts" he chuckled. Tails walked up to her, extending a hand.

"Nice to meet you" Leina cautiously shook his hand.

"You too. I can see pretty clearly why you're called 'Tails'" she said, still staring at his twin tails moving about. Tails examined her armour, especially the broken plate on her front.

"What happened to you?" he asked.

"Some weird slime thing attacked the castle she was in. I intervened, got knocked to the side. Leina intervened, also got knocked the side. It uh, wasn't pretty" explained Sonic. "We need to talk about some things, Tails. Pretty urgent things"

"Sure, come on in" he motioned towards the doorway and walked to it.

"What about the smoke?" asked Leina.

"It was just the release mechanism. It's all good" Tails disappeared inside the capsule. Sonic quickly went in after him. Leina slowly made her way inside. Her eyes widened at the sight.

The room was filled with gadgets of all different shapes and sizes which Leina couldn't even have dreamed about. On one of the walls was a massive computer screen with several other devices connected to it with thick black wires. At the centre of the room was a large table, which took up the majority of space. On it was several scattered tools and equipment. A large vat of molten steel was on the far side of the room with blank template ready to use. There were doors to other rooms, but Leina couldn't even begin to imagine what was behind them. She could barely fathom what was in front of her.

"So how did all this make it here?" asked Sonic. Tails was fiddling with a keyboard connected to the screen, flicking through menus and pages.

"Emergency failsafe. When something of a universal scale occurs, the tech-lab envelops itself in a 'bubble' so to protect the contents inside. Didn't think it'd be picked up and dropped off in another universe though"

"So you know?"

"Of course I know. Total universal bridge occurs, I'll know about it"

"A total what now?" asked Leina. Tails turned to her.

"Total universal bridge. When two universes are close, they sort of 'bridge' together. The bridge is very small, but it was big enough to pluck us from our world and dump it in yours. Normally this could never happen unless there was some sort of massive power output" Sonic thought back to his first confrontation with Eggman.

"The Chaos Emeralds. Eggman had them and the Sol Emeralds for some kind of cannon. That's when the flash occurred" he replied. Leina looked right at him.

"I saw a flash as well. When I was running away, there was a light in the sky. Next thing I knew after that, I was in Sonic's arms" she said. Tails shot Sonic an accusing look.

"I was taking her back to her home" he said quickly.

"But nobody else seemed to see it. My sister didn't. So why did I?" she asked.

"You were caught right bang in the middle of the bridge, purely by chance. You're lucky to be alive I think. The bridge would have affected the entire world, but you were just in the way" Tails explained. "It only works one way. Everyone within a 5 mile radius was picked up in our world and dumped in yours" Sonic turned to his friend.

"But Blaze and Eggman. I never found either of them" his voice taking on a worried tone.

"I wouldn't worry. They will be here, somewhere. It's only by chance we landed here so close. We're lucky, Sonic" he said. Sonic turned to Leina, who was trying to take it all in.

"So…how do you two get back?" she asked. Tail's ears drooped slightly.

"I actually have no idea. I don't think we're stuck here, but it'll be hard to repeat the process and wide up in our world. I'll think of something. Until then, we need the emeralds. All 14 of them" he concluded. Sonic sighed with frustration.

"Argh! Why must everything we do have to involve those things? When we get back, we're getting a glass case for them" he groaned. "Before we do that, we need to ask a favour, Tails"

"Sure what is it?" Sonic turned Tails toward Leina, pointing at her armour.

"Now, Leina here wants to be a fighter, just like her mother. Unfortunately, she took her mother's armour, which is about as strong as plywood. See how you can see her stomach?" he said, pointing to it.

"Yeah?"

"Well, you shouldn't be. Also, there are some other things up with it you could sort out. Notice how there is only one glove, and barely any protection for the legs. Leina could you turn around for a sec?" he asked. She did so, Tails managed to choke on thin air out of shock. "As you can see, she has nothing to protect her behind. Do you think you could upgrade her armour?" he asked. Tails put a finger to his chin and thought for a second.

"Upgrading might be out of the question. I could make you some new armour, Leina" he said. Leina shook her head.

"It's my mother's armour; I'm not having it tossed away"

"I'll make sure the design stays true to the original. I'll even give those belts a proper use" he said. Leina looked at the armour one last time with a sad expression. He was right. How could they just change the metal on whim? The way it was, she wouldn't last a second against strong foes.

"Well, it is a little tight..." she agreed. Tails clasped his hands together.

"Great! You can even call it Vance Armour Mark II if you want. This will only take about an hour" he announced.

"An hour to make a new set of armour?! Impossible! Armour takes days to make" she exclaimed. Tails grinned.

"I could do it with my eyes closed. Now, can you step behind this scanner here?" he asked, pointing to a large white case next to the monitor. Leina slowly moved towards it. She didn't know what it would do for sure. She stepped inside it, only her head and shoulders visible to Sonic and Tails. It was reasonably spacious. On screen, an alert flashed saying 'New entity available. Scan?' along with the option of yes and no. "Could you remove all articles of clothing you have. This will take a full body scan of your height, weight, and your measurements. It'll let me make your armour perfectly suited for your body"

"Are you sure you guys can't see me?" she asked, suspicious.

"I wouldn't ask you to if I could" he replied firmly. Reluctantly, she began to remove her armour. Sonic knelt closer to Tail's ears.

"Us being here, in this universe. It's not going to become a problem on its own, is it? I mean, I know Blaze's world and ours began to merge. That won't happen here, will it?" he whispered.

"No. We sorted that problem out a while back when we wound up in Blaze's world. It shouldn't be an issue here. My worry is Eggman. We're used to him. Our world is used to him. This one isn't" he answered. "Are you sure you haven't seen him?"

"No. Admittedly, I haven't really been looking. After I escaped with Leina, I came looking for you. When did you send that beacon?"

"Late last night when I finally got the solar panels up. The last of my stored energy was used on that beacon. I had nothing until the sun came back up. I'm just happy it died where it did"

"Ok, I'm done" uttered Leina, red faced.

"Awesome. Hands at your sides, and we'll begin" he responded. Leina did so with a nod. Tails pressed a button on a keyboard as the casing that Leina stood in began to rumble lightly. A green light went up and down her body from her front, back, and sides. On screen, her outline started to appear, with arrows showing the length and width of various parts of her body. "Got it. You can put your stuff back on now" he said. Leina wasted no time putting her armour back on. "Well, for someone of your shape, armour will be very quick to make. I know what changes to add, so you will be well protected" he said. "Leina, when you put the armour back on, stay in the scanner. I want the design to stay the same, like you asked" he asked politely. With a press of a button, the workbench opened up as a large hunk of solid steel came from below. Little mechanical arms, each holding tiny tools started to work on the metal, with small torches slicing cleanly through the steel, slowly forming into a into a shape. Leina watched in wonder.

"I can see why you said you could make armour in one hour" she said, bemused by the speed of the arms.

"Did I say an hour? I meant half an hour" he replied smugly, with a grin on his face. He activated the scanner again as the detail of her armour came up on-screen. The scanner made an effort to fill in the blanks of where it was damaged. Almost immediately, the work bench began to etch in the finer details of the old breast-plate into the new one. Before long, the new plate was shaping up. Leina couldn't help but notice it looked slightly bigger.

"Tails, no-one can say you don't show off" joked Sonic.

**Half an hour later**

"Are you done yet?" yelled Sonic through the door. Along with Tails, he had stood there for a good 5 minutes.

"Give me some time. This armour is a bit different. I didn't ask for shoulder pads you know!" Leina yelled back at him.

"The armour should go on the same way, there is just more of it" answered Tails. They stood in silence, hearing only Leina's grunts and the clanking of metal. "I'll admit now. The plates are a much better fit" she shouted with a pleased tone. After a moment of silence, the door opened, and Sonic and Tails stood away from it.

Leina stood admiring her new gauntlets, wiggling her fingers. They felt much easier to move before. Tails stepped forward. "Your armour is made of solid steel, unlike the iron which your old amour was made of" Leina studied her new breast-plate which seemed much more reflective than the old. "Your plate is specifically designed for your body. It should be a better fit now, more comfortable, and much stronger" he went on. It might have hugged her body a little better, but it felt much heavier. The old Y shaped design was still there though.

Strapped to her thighs were some extra steel plates. Thin plates now covered her behind, held up by belts. Her sword was now moved to the hip, for a quick draw. Her shield was moved to the back instead.

"Were the shoulder plates really needed though?" she asked. Tails shrugged.

"It's mostly aesthetic. You don't need them, but I felt they would give you better protection" he replied. Sonic stepped forward with a smile.

"I think you look pretty cool. I mean, you did before, sort of, but now you definitely do" he mumbled. Leina gave him a confident smirk.

"Sonic, can I talk to you for a sec?" asked Tails, trying to move him to the side. Leina watched them for a second before going back to adjusting to her armour, stamping up and down in her boots. "Is there anything you haven't told me? Did you and Leina do anything you haven't mentioned" he whispered. Sonic frowned at him.

"What? No! She's human for crying out loud and-" he spluttered. Tails put his face in his hands and shook his head.

"That's not what I meant. The scanner picked up Chaos energy inside her body. I wanted to know if something happened that might have caused that" he asked flatly. Sonic wiped his brow.

"Right, of course. Well, when she broke her armour, there was a large piece in her stomach. I yanked it out and used the Chaos Emerald to heal the wound" he replied. Tails paid great attention to his words.

"Healing. Pretty standard stuff, wouldn't cause much of an effect" he muttered.

"I'm not done. After it was done, this weird thing happened. Our eyes were forcibly locked on to each other as this golden light left mine and entered hers. It was like I was sharing something" Tails' expression turned sour.

"Anything else?"

"When we were done, she exhaled some of it. She's been fine ever since though" he finished. Tails looked towards Leina. "Is it dangerous?" Sonic asked with worry.

"I don't know. I really don't" Tails replied. Leina walked up to them.

"What are you guys talking about?" she asked, a brow raised.

"Just the Chaos Emeralds. That's all" Sonic lied, rubbing the back of his head nervously. She seemed to fall for it.

"Um, ok. So now that I'm kitted up, what's next?" she asked.

"We keep walking to Gynos. Tails, care to join us?" Sonic asked. Tails shook his head.

"Sorry, but someone has to keep an eye on the state of time and space around here. You two go on ahead. Good luck out there" he replied back. Leina walked out of the techlab, noting how her footsteps made audible thuds on the ground now.

"So, where to now? Sonic asked aloud.

"We keep heading north replied Leina. There should be a small city not too far away from here. We could stop there" Leina said, looking off into the distance. "It'll take us a few hours to walk unless you're willing to carry me" she joked. She used the wrong words. Next thing she knew she was off her feet in Sonic's arms.

"Sure, hold tight!" he yelled with a smirk.

"Wait, hold up, I wasn't serious-AHHHHHHHH!" she screeched as Sonic darted off out of sight. Her yells filling the air. Tails laughed and waved them off. He had a feeling they'd be just fine. Weirdly, he could still hear Leina's yells even now, and they seemed to be getting louder, and more screechy. Tails looked up as a glowing figure flew past him, stopping and screaming at where Sonic and Leina ran off too. It was a girl, blue haired and winged.

"GET BACK HERE YOU TWO, I HAVE QUESTIONS!" she screamed, shaking her fist in the air. Tails stood awkwardly behind her, gazing at hear wings

"Uh, can I help you?" he asked. The girl turned to him, and gawked at him. Tails didn't realise he was doing the same. The angel flew really close to him, studying him like he was an alien.

"What are you then? A monster? An alien? An experiment that went badly wrong?! she demanded, edging closer with every question, to the point she was an inch away from his face and Tails could feel her breath.

"…Fox" he replied quietly. She wasn't satisfied.

"You don't look like a fox to me"

"While we're accusing each other of what we are, what are you then?" he asked. She moved back and put her hands on her hips.

"I, mortal being, am Nanael, highly acclaimed angel of heaven" she lied with triumph. Tails had to take it in slowly.

"An angel?" he asked. He walked up to Nanael and studied her. "Nah, angels don't exist" he claimed. Nanael folded her arms.

"Uh, yea they do. You're looking right at one" she muttered. If it looks like an angel, and it flies like and angel, then chances are it's an angel.

"I'm, uh, gonna need a minute" muttered Tails, walking back into the lab. Nanael went in after him.

"Hey! I was talking to you!" she yelled.

* * *

"SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, STOP RUNNING RIGHT NOW!" screamed Leina at the top of her lungs, her eyes securely closed. If she could see Sonic's face, she could see that it wasn't a party for him either. When he first carried Leina, she wore less armour than before, and said armour was lighter. Now, she was about 3 times heavier. His arms had started to ache very badly with the added weight. He had blasted through the forest and out into the wilderness. To him, the world he found himself in was still magnificent to look at, even if the changes were very minor. Where he was running was seemingly endless rocky hills, very close to the ocean. Seeing the world blast by was like a dream. To the poor woman in his arms, it was a nightmare.

Eventually some tall buildings came in over the horizon. Not Gynos, but it was like a city alright. With his arms growing weaker, Sonic picked up the pace, bolting for the city walls. Sonic looked the left at the ocean. All he could see was a single boat, heading for it.

"FRESH FRUIT! COME AND GET YOUR…What is that?" yelled a market vendor. He looked towards the giant dust cloud rapidly approaching him. The figure making the cloud was coming into view, but it was slowing down pretty quickly. He gawked at the blue creature, carrying a petrified woman as it screeched to a halt in the marketplace, digging his feet into the ground. All the civilians stopped at the sight, some even turned and ran for it, thinking they were in grave danger. Sonic let Leina go, giving his arms a much-needed break. Her legs touched the ground.

"That's the first and last time I'm doing that. You're far too heavy…Leina, you can let go now" Leina's arms were securely fastened around his neck. For the first time since they set off, Leina opened her eyes. Sonic was face to face with a deathly glare. If looks could kill, Leina's would be considered a weapon of mass destruction. She slowly let go of him, standing on her own. Her eyes never left his during that time.

"_Thanks" _she snarled. Sonic still gave her a cheeky grin.

"Well, we made it here, didn't we?"

"Of course. Just one of the most terrifying experiences of my life, that's all" She turned towards the marketplace, noting all the people just staring at her and Sonic. More eyes were on Sonic than her though.

"Don't mind us! We're just…travellers" Sonic said nervously. The people slowly went back to what they were doing, still with their sights set on them. "So, where are we then?"

"This is the city of Adstir. Don't know a lot about it really, but it seems pleasant enough. We could stay here for the day" replied Leina. They walked through the city walls and into the main settlement. The buildings all seemed rather old, but sturdy. It was like it withstood the test of time for centuries. "Come on, let's find somewhere to have a rest" she said, walking through the crowded streets.

* * *

The two sat inside a rather cosy café, the customers happily chatting to each other about everything and nothing. Occasionally one or two would stare at Sonic, or a few men would glance at Leina, but other than that, it was all right.

"You know, I never thought I'd miss humans being ok with a hedgehog running around" muttered Sonic, looking out the window. He was studying the docks nearby.

"You have humans in your world?"

"Of course. Just like you have hedgehogs here"

"Yea, but our hedgehogs don't run around the place. Our foxes aren't geniuses either" said, putting a lampshade on the affair. Sonic chuckled to himself.

"You've got that right anyway" he replied. Looking around, he noticed something rather strange. 2 plates and 2 cups sat on the table. There were crumbs still sprinkled along the plates, and the cups still had some tea in them. He should know because he ate and drank from them, but that wasn't the strange thing. "Leina?"

"Yes?"

"Did you order the food and drink?" he asked, out of the blue.

"No, I thought you did" she replied.

"How? I have no money"

"Neither do I…" she said, her voice trailing.

"So who did?" he asked aloud. Inside he was shaming himself for not noticing. A waitress definitely came up and gave them the food, but they never bought it. Soft, subtle laughter came from the bar, directed at them. They turned to the source.

It was another woman, a little taller than Leina and much stronger looking. She was slightly tanned with rather sickly green hair. Her ears were especially odd. They were long and pointed, like elf's ears typically would be. Her attire was questionable. It was like an armored vest with shoulder pads that closed halfway, leaving her cleavage open to the world. Strapped to her leg was a bandolier, full of daggers. Snake inspired designs decorated her clothing, with scales on her shoulder pads. Even her blade on her back was shaped like a snake.

That's when Sonic noticed the snake-shaped thong. The phrase "nothing to hide" came to his mind. She got up and walked in a sultry manner over to the two.

"I believe a thank you is in order" she said, her voice was deep and almost seductive. Sonic felt the need to be ready to act fast for some reason.

"Thanks" he said, very suspicious. He looked her over again. "What's your name?" he asked. She gave him a slight grin.

"Echidna. Pleased to meet you, Sonic" she replied. Sonic's jaw almost hit the floor.

"E-Echidna? That's really your name?!" he asked, shocked. Echidna glared at him.

"Is there a problem with my name?" she asked.

"Nope. Not at all, just that I know a few, uh, echidnas" he replied. A hot-headed red one came to mind. He kept her eyes on her head, trying not to look at the rest of her. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say you like snakes" he said bluntly, sipping at his tea. At the corner of his eye, a shape moved. To his horror, Echidna's snake thong slithered around her and looked at Sonic with a hiss. He spat out his tea, right to the floor in shock.

"WH-WHY, WHY DO YOU HAVE A REAL SNAKE AS UNDERWEAR?!" he screamed. Echidna ignored his question, petted it kindly. The snake nuzzled lightly against her hand.

"His name is Keltan. Be nicer, will you?" she asked. Sonic quickly decided that Echidna was either the most unique woman he'd ever met, or the most insane. Either way, 'snake for a thong' more or less defined her in his mind. Leina couldn't stop staring at it either, but stopped once she realised Echidna was staring at her in particular. She knelt closer, a little _too_ close for Leina's comfort.

"If money is your problem, then why not take up wrestling for a bit? They're always looking for new fighters" she advised. Her red eyes glanced briefly over Leina's figure before moving away again. Keltan twisted back around her waist, returning to the original shape. "See you two around" she said with a subtle wave. Leina wasn't done yet.

"Wait!" she yelled. Echidna stopped at the doorway. "How did you know his name?" she asked. Echidna didn't turn to look at her.

"News travels fast" she said cryptically. With that, she walked out of the café. Leina raised a brow as she watched the doorway.

"That woman has no sense of personal space" muttered Leina. Sonic was still recovering from what he saw, shaking slightly.

"She hasn't got any sense at all" he mumbled. Looking for a way to calm down, he looked back out towards the docks. There was a small sail ship there now, dropping off passengers, the same ship he ran past earlier. Off stepped a few men and women. One that caught his eye was a rather well-dressed woman with black hair and a red and white kimono. She seemed to be waiting for someone, shouting at the boat.

"Hey, Earth to Sonic" said Leina, snapping her finger at his face. He looked away from the boat. "I was just saying, that woman recommended the wrestling. What do you think?"

"Well, you said you wanted to become a fighter, so it might be a place to start" he muttered. He thought back to the woman in question. Aside from the insane choice of clothes, there was something strange about her.

* * *

"Come on, Blaze!" yelled Tomoe. The purple cat lazily stepped down off the boat, still brushing an eye.

"It's not my fault hammocks are uncomfortable as all hell" She didn't sleep well during the night. She looked at the imminent surrounds, suddenly getting the feeling of déjà vu. "So…where are we exactly?"

"This is the city of Adstir. We're now officially on Gynos. The city of Gynos is still a long way away, but this is a good first step" she said, almost excited. Blaze could only yawn.

"When we get there, I'm asking if we can change the name of the continent. It's too early for all these names"

"It's noon"

"Too. Early" she replied firmly. Tomoe rolled her eyes at her. They both looked towards the busy streets, Blaze lighting up a little at the sight. "Did you bring money by the way?"

"Yes, about 200 gold" she said softly. Blaze turned to her with wide eyes.

"200 _gold?_" she asked again. Tomoe merely nodded.

"Yes, is something the matter?" she asked. Blaze shook her head.

"Nono just that I'm used to other forms of currency. Like dollars" she explained.

"Well we'll stay here tonight. There's a hotel, so it should all be good" she said. Tomoe went to walk off before suddenly stopping. A noise rang through her head, like a whistle. She turned back to Blaze.

"Can you hear that?"

"Nooooo?"

"It's like something is falling-" Before she could finish, a massive object dropped from the sky, and landed violently in the city. Screams soon filled the air as dust clouds rose into the air. The ground shook, a shockwave causing the waves to suddenly get very choppy. Blaze groaned with fury, flames burning off her hands with an intense heat.

"TOO. EARLY!" she grunted, running up the dock towards whatever landed in the city. Tomoe ran after her, keeping note of her sword.

* * *

"Can we go one day without something happening to us?" shouted Leina, running through the fleeing crowds, following Sonic.

"Heh! This is basically an average Tuesday!" he replied, some excitement in his voice.

"AVERAGE?!" she screamed at him. They turned a corner to the site of the crash. Sonic feared for the worse as he saw the crash site. They ran up closer to the site, and his fears became reality. Standing on the wreckage of a small hut was a colossal metal exoskeleton, the same one that Sonic was originally going to fight. The same insignia "Death Egg Robot Mark III" on the side, albeit it seemed fairly charred.

"What is that thing?" asked Leina, fear clearly heavy in her voice.

"Trouble" The massive grinning head slowly opened up as the cockpit rose out of it, occupied by a rather fat man in a red jacket, dark blue glasses covering his eyes. He slammed his fists onto the pod upon sight of the blue hedgehog.

"Sonic! You wretched animal, what are you doing here?!" he grumbled loudly.

"Eggman! What did you do?!" he screamed back at him.

"Slight hiccup in the plan you see. Did you think I meant for this?! The emeralds were not supposed to take us out of our universe" he explained. Sonic felt it hard to believe that it wasn't planned. "But no matter. This world seems far behind ours in terms of technology. A quick takeover will be very easy!"

"I don't think so" replied a voice unfamiliar to him. Eggman quickly took note of the woman next to him.

"I see you've already made friends, Sonic. Human for once, that's a change for you" he said, a smile creeping onto his face. "What's your name, my dear?"

"Leina Vance" she responded, crossing her arms. "So you're the Eggman that Sonic was talking about" she replied. "I can see where you get your name from"

"Well, Miss Vance, for that little comment, you can join Sonic as the newest members of the _recently destroyed club_", he said menacingly. He held up a yellow rectangular gem and a red diamond gem, high into the air. They glowed lightly. "I might not have the 14 emeralds anymore, but I at least have these two!" he announced proudly. One Chaos Emerald and one Sol Emerald in his possession was two too many. A fireball shot right past his head, almost singeing his famous facial hair.

"You won't have it for long if I have anything to say about it!" yelled another female voice. It sounded all too familiar to Sonic. The three turned round to spot a certain purple cat and another woman wielding a sword.

"You as well?!" yelled Eggman. Blaze instantly looked to the other two figures standing near the robot, and just about fell over and surprise.

"Sonic?!" she yelled.

"Blaze! You're alive!" exclaimed Sonic with a large smile on his face. Blaze ran right to him, with Tomoe right behind her. They embraced with a laugh. It was the happiest Blaze had been since she woke up in Hinomoto.

"I should have guessed you'd live after all that" said Blaze, gleefully. Her smile faded as she spotted the woman behind him, hand on her hip. Sonic looked at the woman behind Blaze. He recognised her from earlier, spotting her on the boat.

"Who is that?" they both asked each other simultaneously. Blaze sounded much more suspicious than Sonic did. She made note of the woman eying her up, noting the odd choice of clothes.

"So this is Blaze? She really does look like a cat" Leina mumbled quietly. Sonic looked up at Blaze's friend. Compared to all the other humans, she stood out.

"Didn't expect him to be blue, I'll be quite frank" muttered Tomoe. As Sonic and Blaze looked at each other's human friend, the two women looked at each other. They studied each other's appearance, glancing back and forth between their companion and themselves. Leina looked over Tomoe's kimono very carefully.

"…Uh, hi," muttered Leina with a subtle wave.

"Hello to you too" replied Tomoe with a small bow. There was something about Leina that made her like her almost instantly. The four turned their attention to the groaning man in the machine, who was feigning tears. He even had a handkerchief in his hand.

"It's so emotional!" he cried. "Oh, many happy reunions to you four! Hate to cut it short, but you're all in my way." he hissed. Disappearing inside the mecha, the head closed over. The arms spun round, as they powered up. The blue eyes lit up and the whole thing stomped on the ground like a sumo wrestler, aiming one of it spiked hands at the four. Sonic and Blaze stood back to back as they readied for battle. Swords drawn, Leina and Tomoe stood right behind them.

"Think we can take it?" asked Leina to the rest of the group, clearly nervous.

"Just watch us" replied Blaze, fireball at the ready.

"This should be fun!" announced Sonic. "With four of us, we'll be able to send the Eggman packing!" He gained a glace from Tomoe.

"If this is your idea of fun, then you need a new hobby. Consider poetry" she quipped. The mecha raised an arm at them, ready to bring it down.

"Right, well consider this a team building activity. We're all strangers here, let's see how we work together" muttered Blaze. "Let's do this!"


	4. Chapter 4: Many Happy Returns

**(A/N: ****Thanks again for the views and such. If you like, be sure to follow!)**

The four dove out-of-the-way as with an all-mighty slam, the Death Egg Robot's arm crashed right into the spot where the four once stood. The metal fist made a large 'dent' in the ground as nearby civilians screamed as the attack began. With the arm in the ground, Sonic made the quick reaction to jump onto the arm, and made a run for the head. He thought back to when he fought alongside his younger self. He even remembered_ being_ his younger self doing the same thing to Eggman before. Leina made a direct run for the robot, for reasons even she didn't know.

"Ha! Too easy!" he mocked. On the inside, Eggman merely grinned at Sonic's predictable move. On one of his quick flurry of steps, Sonic was knocked off-balance as the panels which made up the arms moved on their own, launching him off the side, like a shield.

"Did you think I didn't learn from your younger self?" asked Eggman. Sonic landed back on the ground, on two feet luckily.

"Heh, maybe you did get some new blueprints after all, Eggman!" he shouted. Blaze leapt high into the air and threw fireballs right at the body of the machine. The blasts collided right with it; however the robot did not react at all, as if Blaze had merely threw dirt at it.

"Nice try, Blaze. Heat resistant armour!" he gloated. Eggman swung his arm round at the still mid-air feline, hoping to get a good strike against her. Seeing the attack, Blaze prepared to take the pain. "Take this!" he shrieked. Before the arm collided however, a white figure leapt right at Blaze, pulling her out of the path of the arm. Blaze found herself in the arms of Tomoe, who held her close to her body. She felt the force of the arm as it barely missed her. With a grunt, Tomoe landed and let her go.

"Let's not make you saving my life a regular occurrence." she said with a joking tone.

"Agreed." replied Tomoe, looking back towards the robot. It was busy trying to crush Sonic under it's foot, like a man trying to stomp on a spider. He just kept zipping around the attacks as if they were nothing. Whenever he could, Sonic looked out for some kind of place to attack, but saw nothing. They watched as he leapt off a nearby building, curled up into a ball and homed in on the head, with pinpoint accuracy. Sonic bounced off his head, and fell to the ground. He managed to knock the robot backwards a little bit, though it didn't seem to do much else.

"Amateurs! After my last few attempts at beating you, I have made sure there are NO weak points on the machine's exterior! You'll never defeat me!" he announced. The shoulders of the bot opened up, revealing several large missiles, ready to bring down death on them all. Sonic raised his arms into the air, as if he was surrendering.

"Hey! Are you trying to kill innocent people?! Use that supposed IQ of 300! Look around you!" Sonic yelled. "There is something you missed!" The Death Egg Robot turned around. On the inside, Eggman leered at the monitors, focusing on the hedgehog's panicked expression. He turned the head to look at the serious expressions of Blaze and Tomoe. He couldn't see what Sonic was talking about, there were three of them.

Then it hit him. Literally.

"HULL BREACH. HULL BREACH." screamed a robotic voice. Eggman slammed his fists on the controls.

"That's not even possible! Nothing could penetrate this armour!" The head turned round as Eggman looked for the breach. On the cameras, Eggman looked down to something he never thought he'd ever see. On the outside, a furious woman clung to the back of the smooth armour. Her sword in one hand, and her shield in the other, using them like ice picks. Stabbing them into the hull, Leina climbed the machine. Despite the feat normally reserved for experienced heroes, Leina barely felt like she had the strength to hold on as her arms reached their breaking point, but something inside burned as she forced herself to continue up the mechanical beast.

"Weaknesses detected!" informed the voice. Eggman started to panic a little bit. Leina's sword and shield were digging in deep enough to expose the robot's wiring, but he didn't let it bother him so much.

"I…will not…let you harm anyone!" she growled, furiously. Halfway up the back, Leina could physically hear Eggman clap from inside.

"Impressive, my dear! Your courage is almost as large as your chest!" he yelled, laughing. She growled as she climbed up even faster, even though her arms felt like they were going to snap off, but her fury fueled her strength. A snide remark like that wasn't going to go unpunished.

"Oh, you're so dead!" she snarled angrily. The robot's arms raised, ready to swat her off. A ball of fire smashed off the arm, hitting it away. The robot turned the other 3, Blaze with an arm burning. Sonic ran up to the robot and leapt at it uncontrollably, distracting it. Balls of fire and explosive cards flew at the head, blocking off Eggman's vision. Leina did her best to keep climbing through the chaos. With a painful leap, she clung onto the top of the neck. Pulling herself up, she made her way to the head.

"Knock it off you freaks!" he yelled. Smoke clouded the robot's eyes, leaving Eggman blind. Once the smoke cleared, Eggman was greeted with the image of Leina, standing above the right eye. Eggman froze. Not only did he not expect someone to reach the top, but the view was interesting. Despite it, he was brought back into reality very quickly. Leina bared her sword, and raised it above her head, ready to bring it down.

"Take this!" she yelled as the sword came crashing down. Eggman almost screamed in fear as the sword shattered the glass eye, and punctured both the camera and the monitor. The blade sliced into the cockpit, literally inches from his face. Leina wrestled the blade out of the eye, before stabbing the other eye. Both monitors from the inside were destroyed. The robot wretched to the left, causing Leina to lose her footing. Sword still in hand, she fell to the ground. Seeing her fall, Tomoe rushed towards her. With a dive, she just managed to grab her before she hit the ground, breaking her momentum. With a grunt, they both collapsed to the ground. On her back Leina looked up to see her savior looking to the robot, which was spinning out of control. She spotted the stab marks in its back, and had an idea. In a spit-second move, Tomoe grabbed more cards from her kimono and threw them at the stab wounds of the machine. They all slipped right into the cracks and exploded inside, smoke and fire roaring from them. The robot immediately started acting even more violently as onlookers watched both in wonder and in total fear, with the eyes starting to burn.

One of the legs exploded, sending it falling to the right. The armored hull didn't manage to hold the combustion inside, as the machine rocked the ground with one last detonation. Tomoe covered Leina with her body protectively as debris and flames filled the air. Sonic and Blaze watched with wide-eyes as they found their job done for them by someone else, and much faster. Black smoke rose from the machine's corpse as the air stilled. Sonic and Blaze ran towards the head of the mecha. It was cracked, the front of the head completely blown off. They could see the rather charred leather seat where Eggman had sat, but he was gone.

"Where did he go?" asked Sonic.

"That's impossible. He never flew out the machine, and luckily there isn't any blood anywhere…" she said rather morbidly. She poked her head inside. Indeed, there was no sign of Eggman whatsoever. All that remained was the dead, sparking controls. There were no emeralds there either.

"Did he use Chaos Control?" asked Sonic. Blaze pulled her head out and shook it.

"I doubt it. I don't think he's quite smart enough to work that out" she looked around to find civilians start to circle the area. She stared at the dead machine for a bit, before remembering something important. Very important. She turned to Sonic and gave him an almighty slap across the face. The sound ringing in the air. Sonic brought his hand back to his face.

"OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" he yelled.

"That was for worrying me!" she screamed back at him, still getting over the fact they were reunited. Rubbing his cheek, Sonic turned to the two bodies on the ground.

"Hey, you two? It's all safe now." he shouted. Hearing his words, Tomoe slowly brought her head up, looking at the wreckage. In all her life she had never seen something so destructive as the robot she just helped destroy. She couldn't help but feel proud that she had a hand in taking it out, and couldn't quite believe it actually worked. Her attention was brought back to her current position when she heard someone clear her throat. She looked down to find Leina looking right into her eyes.

"Thanks for saving me, Miss, but I think you can get off of me now." she spoke softly. It took Tomoe a second to notice the most peculiar thing about the situation. Leina's cheeks were glowing a healthy red, blushing. Tomoe immediately got to her feet and offered Leina a hand up, which she accepted.

"It's the least I could do for a stranger in need." Tomoe replied softly. Leina smiled, looking to the ground. The two turned back to Sonic and Blaze, both watching them. They seemed somewhat amused by them both. They ran over to them, and stood in silence for a small while, allowing the atmosphere to become very odd. All four felt strangely about each other. Slowly, clapping started coming from the crowds, getting louder and louder until everyone was cheering for them. Sonic was used to the cheering, having saved thousands of lives in the past. Blaze was the same, though her cheering was typically for a different reason. The two women weren't used to it as all, being given so much praise at once. The four looked round at their support with curious expressions. With a grin, Sonic grabbed Leina's arm, and held it high. He grabbed Tomoe's arm and did the same.

"These two are your heroes!" he proclaimed. The crowd focused their attention on them as commanded. The two looked at each other with pleased expressions before turning back to the crowd, waving. This was what Leina had run away for. Sonic and Blaze stood happily next to each other. They turned, both with semi-serious expressions. They both knew that victory was far from grasp.

Above the buildings, Echidna stayed crouched, watching them with a grin. She observed Leina in particular. She seemed stronger than she had anticipated. Nonetheless, she secretly hoped she would have a look at the wrestling she mentioned before. Echidna's night counted on it. Keltan slithered close to her face. She gently petted his head.

"We'll have our fun…" she whispered to him.

* * *

Tomoe gazed out the window of the café to find young children playing out the events that just took place. A young girl had wrapped a piece of red cloth around her forehead, imitating her as a young boy ran around with a bucket on his head, acting out the robot. A small blonde girl clung to his back, trying to be Leina. She couldn't help but smile at the sight. Bringing her attention back to the table, she found the awkward atmosphere hadn't left. Opposite her sat Sonic and the young woman she had saved. Beside Tomoe was Blaze, eying up the woman. Sonic sat sipping tea, given to them free of charge for saving the day.

"Well, that's one way to get to know each other," he mumbled. Putting the cup down, he glanced over Tomoe. "So, what's your name, Miss? Someone has taught you how to fight pretty well if you don't mind me saying." he said.

"Thank you. It's Tomoe. I'm a warrior priestess from Hinomoto," she replied. Tomoe placed a hand on Blaze's shoulder "I had the good fortune to meet your friend, Blaze. She helped defend the rest of the priestesses from the Kouma Ninjas. Without her, we might have perished." Sonic looked thoughtful.

"I suppose you two were that light we saw as we ran away from the castle then? We saw this red and purple streak of light in the distance." he said. Blaze perked up.

"You two didn't see an exploding castle, did you?" she asked.

"It was my castle. Sonic managed to stop the creature that did it and as a bonus, he also gave me the opportunity to do things for myself." replied Leina. Blaze sat up straight.

"We saw it from Hinomoto. Small world I guess," she replied. She glared at Leina. "So what's your name then?"

"Leina Vance."

"Interesting choice of armour, Leina," muttered Blaze. "I mean no offense but are you basically just wearing slabs of metal and nothing else?" she asked. Leina was slightly taken back by her comments.

"It's stronger than it looks you know."

"I bet, but still. It's a little…revealing shall we say." she said, pointing to the gap in her breast-plate exposing her cleavage.

"To be fair, it looks better than before. Tails built her a totally new set of armour so it actually fits." added Sonic.

"Tails is alive?" she asked excitedly.

"Yup. We found him on the way here, and he fixed her up a new set of armour. She initially wore her mother's old armour, but it was pretty weak."

"Have you two been travelling since last night?" asked Tomoe.

"Yes, we both spent the night together in the forest, which was interesting," replied Leina, referring to her surprisingly good sleep. Blaze continued to glare at her, assuming she meant something else. Leina picked up on the look. "Is something the matter, Blaze?"

"No, everything is fine," she replied. Leina didn't know what the problem was. All she did was travel with her friend. "I'm just glad you're safe, Sonic." she said with a relived smile. The penny dropped, and Leina suddenly saw why Blaze was acting hostile. She slouched slightly with a cunning grin.

"How long have you known Sonic?" she asked.

"A few years. We've fought together many times before. Why do you ask?" Leina half-closed her eyes and sipped from her cup.

"Oh, no reason…_Miss Tsundere._" she murmured. Blaze's eyes widened.

"What did you call me?"

"Oh, nothing." she replied quickly, still grinning. Blaze narrowed her eyes at her. She really did hear what she said, and she didn't like it. Sonic and Tomoe both watched the two carefully. Sonic had never seen Blaze act like this around him before. He turned to Tomoe, hoping to ease the slight tension.

"Aaaaanyway, Lady Tomoe. Why are you in Gynos?" he asked, desperate to change the subject.

"I've been asked to fight in the Queen's Blade tournament." she said. Sonic perked up after hearing those two words again.

"So you're off to the capital as well?"

"Yes. Blaze offered to escort me there. I've wanted to get the chance to meet you, Sonic. Blaze has spoken highly of you." she replied. Sonic looked to Blaze with a soft smirk. Blaze frowned when she heard Leina snigger under her breath, but decided not to bring it up. She took out her Sol Emerald and held it in her hand.

"I can hopefully find the rest of these along the way. I have one, and Eggman has one. There are 5 left." she said. Sonic took out his Chaos Emerald.

"Same situation here. There are 10 emeralds still lost in the world; we need to find them as soon as possible, before Eggman does," He put it away again. "I guess we all travel together then!" he concluded. Tomoe seemed pleased with the idea.

"Agreed. I'd be nice to get to know you both a little better." she said.

"Indeed it would be" Leina agreed with a smirk.

"I'm interested to see how you'll develop, Leina. A young aspiring fighter like you, I'd like to get to know you better in particular," she spoke softly. Leina felt her cheeks get really warm at her words for some reason. "Anyway, we should stay here for the night and continue in the morning. If we go now, we're just going to be stuck in a forest when night falls."

"How much is a room?" asked Blaze.

"25 gold a night."

"We should share 2 rooms. It'd be cheaper that way. Me and Sonic in one room, you two in the other one" she decided. Everyone seemed to nod in agreement.

* * *

"Can I put my clothes on now?!" screamed Nanael, standing in the scanner. Tails ignored her, staring at the monitor. Science couldn't explain her in the slightest. Her wings weren't bound to her body through bone, it was purely through magic. The computer couldn't even conclude her species. Human never popped up, and nothing else did. It had been the 5th time he had scanned her. "Are you willing to accept I'm an angel now?" she asked with her arms crossed. Tails looked up at her, defeated.

"…It's just not possible," he groaned. "You can come out of the scanner now." He stared at the monitor still, gazing at the wings. Throwing on her clothes, Nanael stood out with her hands on her hips, triumphant.

"Told ya! Pure, 100% angel!" she yelled, throwing a fist into the air. Tails stared at her wings as they flapped happily.

"So, Miss Nanael…angel…whatever, why were you running after Sonic and Leina?" he asked, still not quite accepting the situation he was in.

"I'm not interested in Leina, just that hedgehog. However, I doubt I really need him anymore, because I have you as my subject," she flew closer to Tails. "Where are you from? There was a hullabaloo in Heaven yesterday, and you have run about ever since." she interrogated. Tails calmly took a step back.

"We're from a different universe. It's a long and complicated story, but we're not from here, that's all you need to know. Wait, Heaven?" he asked.

"Yes"

"…As in, above the clouds Heaven?"

"Yeeeeeeeees? What kind of Heaven do you have?" she asked. Tails started to feel faint.

"Never mind. Look, if you want to find Sonic and Leina, then they are off to some place called Gynos." Nanael randomly perked up.

"Oh! They must be off to the Queen's Blade competition! Leina must be a combatant! I have to follow her, there is no way I'm missing out on a fight!" she squealed with excitement. She flew out of the tech lab, Tails running after her.

"Wait, what's the Queen's Blade?! He yelled. Nanael hovered lightly in the air.

"It's a long story, I'll tell ya some other time. I'll catch ya later, Tails!" she squealed with a wave. With that, she flew off above the trees, in pursuit of Leina. Beings from another universe took a back seat as thoughts of the Queen's Blade tournament took over. Nanael heard a strange noise however, like a propeller in the wind and it was just getting louder. She turned round, and almost lost control of her wings. Tails was right behind her, with his twin tails spinning above him, allowing him to keep up with her.

"YOU CAN FLY?!" she shrieked. Tails gave her a smirk.

"Well having two tails has its benefits." he replied smugly. Nanael started to freak out, flying away from him ever faster. Tails picked up the pace.

"Wait up! Tell what the Queen's Blade competition is!"

* * *

Sonic bounced lightly on his bed. It was the first form of real comfort he had felt since the green grass he woke up on, and that wasn't very comfortable to begin with. The room was perfectly cosy. A bed for the both of them, a table and a few chairs with a little bathroom to boot. Blaze stood looking out of the window, gazing at the view of the city and the ocean below. It reminded Blaze very strongly of her room back home. She couldn't help but admit to herself how beautiful this world was. The only way it could have been made better if it was Hinomoto instead of Adstir. It looked better in her opinion.

"It's very nice here, don't you think Sonic?" she asked. Sonic stopped bouncing and looked towards the window where she stood.

"Yup. World is cool, and the people here are all good as well," he replied. "It's like a holiday or something!" Blaze still frowned.

"You said Tails was alive?"

"Yeah, He even had a mobile tech-lab with him. That's how Leina got her armour all fixed up," he explained. "That fox still amazes me, even to this day."

"What about the others?" she asked. Sonic thought for a moment.

"Others?"

"Yes, don't you remember? We weren't the only ones there that day." she explained. Sonic cast his mind back to them preparing to do battle with Eggman. He found it difficult to comprehend; there was only Blaze and Eggman in his memory. He thought harder, to before even then. Sonic reacted with horror.

"I remember now! We need to find them! They could be in danger or-" he shouted. Blaze walked over to him and sat down next to him.

"We will. But now we need to focus our attention on the emeralds. If Eggman finds them all, then this world will be taken over, and I'll be damned if I let him endanger even more innocent lives" she said bitterly. "At the same time, I'm going to make sure Tomoe reaches the Queen's Blade tournament safely. After what happened at Hinomoto, I owe her. She saved my life back then and she did it again today. It's the least I could do"

"Good thing we met up. I was going with Leina to Gynos, just so she could see the world for herself, instead of being stuck in the castle"

"Don't tell me you acted all 'Prince Charming' did you?" Blaze sighed. Sonic chuckled lightly.

"Nah. She was to become countess, but that meant she couldn't do things for herself. She told me she just wants to be like her mom. Hell, when I woke up, she was on the ground unconscious because she had tried to run away. I brought her back, and discovered that was a mistake."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. You should meet her sister, Elina. She's…something else…"

"How so?"

"Well, she tried to grope Leina the moment I brought her back." he said bluntly. Blaze raised a brow.

"Are you serious?"

"Perfectly serious." he replied. Blaze looked to the ground.

"Jeez. Who the hell can be attractive enough that even her own sister wants her?" she thought aloud. Sonic thought for a moment about what she said. Again, it was unusual for her to act like this.

"Leina, clearly" replied Sonic. "What's your deal with Leina by the way? You seem…suspicious of her." he asked.

"I'm not suspicious of her. It's just…" she started. She found it hard to find the right words.

"You're not jealous that she's hanging around with me, are ya?" he joked with a smirk. Blaze frowned at him.

"Of course not!" she replied aggressively. Sonic backed up a little. "I just find her armour odd." she replied. Sonic rubbed his nose.

"It's an improvement, like I said. You should have seen her old armour. There was less of it to start." he said with a smile. Blaze frowned at him.

"You've been looking?"

"Well it's hard not to notice. It's was always sort of _there_. When you put on a breast plate that's a little too small, you're gonna attract attention. You know what I mean?"

"…No." she said quietly.

"Funny thing actually, when we were in the forest, she seemed to forget that I was there. So I was just minding my business gazing at the trees and then I look over and she's got her breast-plate off. Totally forgetting I was there! And she doesn't wear anything under it so-" he continued. Blaze put a hand up.

"I've heard enough, Sonic" she muttered, barely suppressing her irritation. Sonic found her behaviour very odd. Blaze had never acted like this before.

"…Well, it's a shame she's a human. She's nice enough, but humans are not my thing," he finished, looking at Blaze for a reaction. She felt slightly calmer after that. "Anyway, how is Tomoe then? She's a nice one." he asked. Blaze's expression remained neutral.

"You don't know the half of it. When faced with a cat from another world, she's the kind who asks you if you'd like to sit with her, talks with you, and brings you green tea. She's one of the nicest people I've ever met in my life. That, or the most naïve." she explained.

"I wonder how those two are getting on." Sonic thought aloud.

"I dunno. It must be awkward suddenly getting paired with a stranger in a hotel room."

* * *

"Ah! This is the most relaxed I've felt since I left!" exclaimed Leina with a pleased sigh. She put her hands behind her head and shut her eyes, just allowing herself to finally relax. The bed was a massive improvement over the hard ground from before. She didn't even care than it was a double bed, and that she'd be sharing it with a stranger. Her heavy armour was left at the side at the bed in a large metallic belt strewn pile. The complimentary gowns suddenly felt like the most comfortable things on the planet. Even though she had all of this and more back home, it felt much more satisfying being elsewhere. Tomoe was in the bathroom, her kimono and sword draped over the chairs near the bed. Her gown hugged her body much more snugly than her kimono did. She felt instantaneously refreshed after simply washing her face, though in the mirror she couldn't help but look at Leina. She felt scared for her.

"Leina, you said you ran away." she said aloud. Leina opened her eyes towards her.

"That's right."

"Won't they come after you?" Tomoe asked with concern. Leina knew she was perfectly right, there was no use ignoring the fact.

"Yes, I imagine so. But I don't want to go back, not after coming this far." she replied, with a bitter tone.

"I imagine the Thundercloud General is looking all over the land for you."

"If we keep moving, I'll be fine. _My sister_ won't find me if I'm careful."

"Your courage is admirable, Leina," Tomoe walked up and sat down on the end of the bed, crossing her legs facing her. "But you don't know how to fight, do you?" she asked. The question pierced Leina.

"…No" she replied sadly.

"That feat against that man was a one-time thing. I have my doubts you could repeat it," said Tomoe. Leina couldn't even feel offended. Climbing the Death Egg Robot was pure instinct. Her arms were still aching from the action. Panic and adrenaline made Leina come out victorious, not her natural strength. "However, it was a very heroic deed. You should be proud of yourself." she finished.

"I guess. Hey, what do you think about all this? We're the woman paired with talking animals." asked Leina, changing the subject. It was the first time she could properly dwell on it all. For the past 12 hours, she had been paired with a talking blue hedgehog that could run faster than anything she knew. For once, the bizarre nature of it all settled in.

"It's odd, but I won't lie to you, but they seem nice enough. Sonic seems like a kind spirit, and Blaze is incredibly brave." replied Tomoe. Hearing her name made Leina grin again.

"Blaze has a softer side to her. She's tough and all, but she's hiding something." said Leina with a cocky tone.

"I think your friend Sonic is very interesting. I imagine he's done a lot in his lifetime"

"Believe me, he has. He told me a bit about what's he has done. Apparently, he ran around with a metal being which acted just like him, and fought the forces of chaos itself. I'm willing to believe him," Tomoe found the idea of Sonic fighting what sounded like a god a little farfetched, but still found it interesting. "I'm just glad I met him. Now I can hopefully be like my mother."

"What did your mother do?"

"She was a fighter, even taking part in the Queen's Blade tournament." she said sadly. Tomoe could sense what happened to her. She crept up the bed and sat down beside Leina, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I think you could easily become a great warrior, Leina. With some training, you could easily take part in the tournament. You have the courage for it, that's for definite." said Tomoe. Her voice made Leina feel at ease.

"I'm not interested in the Queen's Blade tournament. I see no reason really. Besides, it'll be full of expert fighters such as you. All of them have their own reason to do it. I mean, why are you going to fight, Tomoe?"

"So I can help Hinomoto fight against its corruption." she replied. Leina sat up properly.

"See? You have a reason. Me? I just want to become strong." she sighed.

"It's still something to fight for. If you want to prove yourself, then fight. Your mother did before, so if anything, do it for her," she replied. Leina looked towards her. The young warrior had a point. She could fight for her family's honour, do what her mother didn't. "Besides," Tomoe added, looking at Leina's body, "You're in top physical shape. You could do it easily," she said. "Armour is a strange choice though, you will get a lot of looks with it on." she giggled looking over to where Leina's armour lay. Leina looked at Tomoe's figure.

"Well, I can see why the wear that kimono then. You look very fit yourself," she replied. Leina noticed Tomoe's cheeks flush slightly at what she said, before she looked away. She didn't know why she did, but Leina eventually noticed she had spoke in a rather sultry tone towards her. She still found it interesting how she blushed. The two sat in silence for a few seconds, staring at the wall as if it was the most interesting thing in the room for that point. Leina cleared her throat and continued talking. "Anyway, this woman came up to me and Sonic before that man attacked the city. She mentioned some kind of 'wrestling' or something. What do you think? Could be a good way to earn some extra money. I mean, you're 50 gold down already. That's not going to last forever."

"I think it's a good idea, not just from a money stand point. It'll get your strength up." she replied with an assuring smile. Leina made her mind up. She was going to give it a try.

"I'll do it. I wonder what kind of wrestling it is…ring fighting? Some sort of sumo wrestling or…"

* * *

"…Mud wrestling." she mumbled. This wasn't exactly what Leina imagined she'd be doing. Gone were her armour and her gown. Instead, she found herself in some skimpy clothing. A short skirt and a top which barely covered her chest. Her feet were submerged in sloppy grey mud which squelched between her toes. It was a small circular area, which high walls around her and pipes where the mud had come out of. Above her were crowds of eager men, all there for some entertainment of a kind Leina didn't want to offer. A woman stood opposite her, ready to take her down. She was a slightly stronger woman than her with short red hair. Her outfit also rather revealing. She had a malicious smile on her face, as if she saw Leina as prey.

There was an exception to the crowd. Several levels above her were 3 spectators with the same amount of excitement in their expression that Leina had. Tomoe looked to the men surrounding the arena. She wasn't aware of what Leina was doing either. Sonic and Blaze simply looked like they had other places to be.

"You know, it feels weird to be the only male here that isn't looking for a thrill, if you two know what I mean." he said loudly, above the other whooping men.

"We do. This is just humiliating for the poor girl." replied Tomoe.

"Pathetic. These men have nothing better to do than ogle some women fighting in mud, desperately hoping that their clothes slip off. Whose idea was it that she did this?" asked Blaze, a frown on her face.

"Some random woman with a snake for underwear." replied Sonic, shuddering at the thought. Blaze just looked at him, not sure what to think before looking back over the railing.

"Right." she mumbled. The women in the world confused her. None with the possible exception of Tomoe had any decency. A man's voice yelled over the crowds.

"Gentlemen! Meet your fighters for tonight! Our last winner is still standing, but will she keep that way?! It's 'The Dominator' everyone!" he screamed. The men cheered for Leina's opponent. "Facing her tonight is a newcomer! She's a frail young thing, but she is apparently the one who helped take down that metal thing earlier today, so let's break her in, shall we?! It's 'The Wandering Warrior'!" he finished. Fewer men yelled for Leina, but there were definitely some support for her. Sonic couldn't help but beam with delight.

"Ha! She used the nickname I gave her!" he beamed.

"Let the fighting begin! Whoever can force their opponent into the mud for 10 seconds is the winner!" shouted the announcer. The Dominator sniggered.

"Let's see what you've got, weak stuff!" she taunted. She made a rush towards Leina, looking to ram right into Leina's stomach to pin her down. Reacting with slight fright, Leina dodged her, sliding to the right in the mud. Despite the slippery ground, she seemed to move with ease. The Dominator came back round to grab her again, and like before Leina just ducked as if she saw it coming. She was surprised she dodged the woman once, never mind twice. Her movement kicked up mud onto the Dominator's face, covering her right eye. Seeing her opportunity, Leina moved behind her and grabbed her arms. She pushed forward, digging her knee into the back of her opponent's legs, forcing her to kneel. Her arms began to ache again as she tried to push the Dominator into the thick mud.

The Dominator wriggled an arm loose and elbowed Leina in the jaw. The crowd all gasped as Leina reacted back, clutching the side of her face. Tomoe, Sonic and Blaze all leaned further forward over the bar, watching with anticipation. While her face pulsed with pain, Leina didn't let it affect her too badly. She gasped as the Dominator made another lunge at her, fury in her expression.

Time seemed to freeze as Leina's brain worked out what to do next. Suddenly, it all seemed so simple. With her arms still on fire, Leina tripped the woman up as she lunged at her, causing her to fly head first at her, her face aimed at the mud below. In a swift move, Leina dodged to the right and slammed her opponent's head into the mud below. The crowd went crazy as the mud splashed into the air, some hitting Leina in the cheek. Above her, Sonic laughed as he threw a fist into the air.

"Alright Leina!" he yelled with a massive grin on his face. Leina removed her hand and stepped back, panting. Her opponent got up, her front half completely covered in mud.

"You'll pay for that, you bitch!" she screeched. Leina found herself with a smirk on her face.

"Well come on then!" she shouted back. "I can do this." she thought to herself. Her opponent lunged at her, grabbing her and throwing her to the ground. With a splash, they both landed in the mud, Leina on her back. She tried to push her off, but her opponent started to overpower her. She grabbed Leina's head and tried to force her face into the mud.

"I told you! I'm the Dominator!" she hissed. Leina didn't know what worried her more. The mud in her face, or the men counting down above her.

"1! 2! 3!" they cried out, counting down to her defeat. Blaze was almost balancing herself over the bannister, shouting below.

"Come on! Get up and make her pay!" she screamed. Tomoe and Sonic were a little caught off guard by her yelling. "If you want to be a fighter, then show her what you're made of then!"

Her words made it to Leina's ears among the shouting. "4! 5! 6!" shouted the men above, almost taunting her. Of course she could make out her opponent's cackling, which more than anything, just made her angry.

"I'm not giving up!" shrieked Leina, shifting her body weight. The Dominator's laughing stopped as Leina rolled her over so she was the one in the mud. With a growl, Leina forced her head into the mud, with an arm on her collarbone, stopping her from getting up. Again the men chanted.

"1! 2! 3! 4!" they cried. Leina could feel her arms getting weaker, but did not give in to the pain. The Dominator thrashed about, trying to break out, but Leina refused to let her back up. Sonic and Blaze joined in with the yelling.

"5! 6! 7! 8!" the crowd yelled. The Dominator's thrashing became more violent as the countdown went on, but it was no use.

"9! 10!" they finished. At the last note, Leina let go of her opponent. She stood up and backed away, waiting for her to attack again in fury, but she didn't. Instead, her opponent rolled onto her back in defeat, staring at the ceiling. The Dominator was ironically dominated. Leina beamed, wiping the mud off her face. She looked up the cheering men. Even though they were cheering for a totally different reason, namely the mud clinging to her body, she still felt proud. She had won her first ever proper fight, on her own. She spotted Sonic and Blaze cheering her on, with Tomoe beaming with delight.

"Gentlemen! The winner of this bout is The Wandering Warrior! Will she continue into the next round?! We'll find out soon enough!" shouted the commentator.

"Now, what have I won then?" she thought to herself, making her way to the ladder.

* * *

Leina sat on her own inside the large public bath, steam rising from the water. It was a perfectly secluded room with the water felt great on her bare skin; however Leina found it difficult to enjoy. She stared off into space with a frown on her face. Her arms rested on the edge of the bath as she held her winnings in her hand.

All 5 gold coins of it.

She kept picking it up and dropping it again on the titles, the clanging of the coins the only noise in the room. The whole thing seemed like a waste of time. Newcomers didn't earn as much as regular contestants. This is information she found out _after _she was covered in mud. With her side to the doorway, she heard familiar voices approach the room, all talking among themselves. They sounded annoyed, just as she was. As the footsteps got louder, she looked round to face them. Tomoe, Sonic and Blaze all wandered into the room, with Sonic making an audible yelp as he saw Leina lounging there.

"I get the idea I'm somehow going to get used to this." he mumbled, covering his face. Blaze looked at him and rolled her eyes. She walked over to Leina and knelt down, looking at her winnings.

"So you really did earn only 5 gold? That's ridiculous!" she exclaimed. Leina sighed as she gazed at the shiny gold coins.

"Yep. Looks like I'm going to need to keep fighting to earn more. It's a start at least." she replied.

"Your skills are already improving, Leina. You seem to be able to dodge attacks pretty well, aside from the one to the head of course." said Tomoe softly. Leina rubbed her cheek. It was still slightly painful, but it seemed to feel better much faster than she had anticipated. It was extremely odd.

"I'll be doing the next fight as well. Winnings go up with every bout, so it's worth a shot." she concluded, making her mind up.

"Well if it's ok with you, I'm gonna stay in my room. I could use the time to think for a bit." replied Sonic, still with his eyes covered.

"I'll do the same. Still tired after that boat trip." said Blaze, stretching a leg.

"I'll be there to watch. I have an errand to run first, but I'll be there." said Tomoe with a smile.

"I appreciate it. I think the next fight is in about 10 minutes anyway. I'll see you three around" Leina stood up and made her way out of the bath as the 3 left the room, grabbing a nearby towel. As they walked off, Tomoe felt something dribble down her lip.

"Hey Tomoe, you've got a nosebleed." Blaze pointed to it. Panicking, Tomoe held her nose closed, rushing ahead of the two of them. They looked off to where she ran.

"That was random" muttered Sonic. Blaze had a slight suspicion as to why it started, though she decided to stay quiet if she was wrong.

* * *

Leina barely remained still in the arena, slipping all over the place. Instead of the mud, yellow oil now filled the arena. She felt much less confident than before, without the others there to support her. For once, she was truly alone. She looked up the men staring down at her again. With a new 'outfit' for the fight, she knew they were all staring at her exposed cleavage in her top.

"I'd give anything for the top back." she thought to herself.

"Gentlemen! The next fight of the night! The Wandering Warrior has returned to fight another round! We've put her against an old favourite!" the announcer yelled. At that moment, her opponent flipped elegantly into the arena, landing without fault in the oil. Leina froze, recognising her green hair and red eyes. Above all, she made note of her choice of clothes. "Echidna is here to fight, everybody!" he yelled. Echidna looked at Leina with sultry eyes, as if undressing her with them.

"So you took my advice after all, Leina Vance." she spoke softly. Leina took a step back.

"How do you know my name?" she asked, scared that guards would pop out of nowhere were about suddenly take her away.

"News travels fast." she repeated from before. She readied herself for a fight. Leina frowned, vowing inside not to go down so easily. She was intimidated however. Echidna seemed stronger than she was. She wondered whether she made a mistake, but it was too late to walk out now.

"You both know the rules! Let the fight begin!" announced the commentator. Wanting to attack first, Leina tried to run right at Echidna, somehow forgetting about the change of substance she was walking on. Clumsily, Leina fell right on her back with a splash. The crowd started to laugh at her failure. Staring at the sky, Echidna walked into view in front of her, and offered a hand up.

"Help for the beginner," offered Echidna, waving her hand slightly. Innocently, Leina grabbed Echidna's hand, and immediately realised her mistake. Echidna bent Leina's arm back violently, forcing a pained cry out of her, before pulling her up and into her. In a quick action, Echidna wrapped her arms around Leina's waist and squeezed her tightly. Leina felt her back slowly get crushed as she yelled. It felt like fire was burning up her spine. "Foolish girl." taunted Echidna. She lent in close to Leina's face, far too close. Leina stopped screaming as Echidna licked her cheek. She physically squirmed as she did so, the fight taking a turn she didn't like.

The men above her clearly did. They cheered furiously for Echidna. With some effort, Leina mustered up the strength and slowly lifted Echidna into the air, and the fell into the oil, Leina on top. For some reason, she suspected Echidna was enjoying herself more than she should. She didn't even seem fazed at all. "Nice try." she muttered as she slipped away underneath Leina. Her hair dripping with oil, Echidna turned and grabbed the still crawling Leina around the neck, forcing her body down and pulled. Again, Leina screamed as her neck bent backwards. The men started counting down again.

"1! 2! 3!" Leina struggled to break out, but her arms and legs were too tired and weak to get out. Echidna suddenly let go, and picked up her legs and pushed them over her back, bending her spine backwards. To Leina's dismay, Echidna never pinned her long enough to defeat her. She prolonged her torture as long as she could, subjecting her to several more painful holds.

After a while, Leina was in pain all over. Her neck felt like it was going to break, her legs were in agony, and her arms were almost useless. She lay face down in the oil, only timidly lifting her head every now and again to breathe. The men were shouting at Echidna above, who just stood there over Leina's body, hardly broken a sweat.

"Finish her off!"

"Take her top off!"

"Win the fight already!"

Echidna stared up at them with a frown, disgusted by them. She left Leina's body and made her way to the ladder. The snake around her waist hissed quietly.

* * *

"GET AWAY! SHE'S CRAZY!" screamed a man as he bolted out of the building. The spectators all ran into the night, with Echidna walking after them, clutching her sword.

"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" One man stopped and turned to her.

"I'M THE COMMONTATOR, YOU NEED THE COMMONTATOR!" Keltan just hissed at him, forcing him to continue running.

"I am not to be disturbed. You all got that?" she commanded. She returned inside, closing the massive wooden doors behind her. The men all moved awkwardly among themselves, unsure of what to do. Now the only people in the building were herself, and Leina. "Sorry for the delay…" she said. Leina barely registered the remark; she was in too much agony to pay proper attention. What she did feel was Echidna's arm grabbing her around her neck and pulling her up again. Leina groaned in agony, oil running down her face as she was jerked backwards. Echidna's legs wrapped around her own, and she was placed in a painful chokehold. She tried to pull her arm off her neck, but she was too weak to properly resist.

"Ah, this is the most fun I've had a long time. To think you were the one who took down that metal thing today, now you can't even break out of a simple hold." she mocked.

"Quit it! Let me go already!" she begged, trying not to choke.

"Not so fast. I haven't had my fun yet," Echidna reached round and uncovered Leina's chest. Leina had no idea what she was planning. Either she was about to be murdered or get molested, at that point, she believed both were just as bad. Leina barely mustered a gasp as she felt something slither between her legs. To her horror, Echidna's snake slithered out and up around Leina's stomach, stopping just at her exposed breast. "Try fighting back harder." she taunted again and then Leina felt a cold, horrible sting.

Her eyes widened as she looked down. The snake had bitten into her breast, and was not letting go. She felt something pump through her veins as it did so, and it felt like fire against raw flesh. "Keltan, that's enough now." she commanded. The snake let go, exposing two red bumps on her chest.

Leina let out a bloodcurdling scream as the pain set in from the bite. Her limbs became completely inoperable as she tried to struggle out, her chest pulsing with pain from the bite. She was convinced she was going to die. Her family didn't know where she was, nobody did. She'd only be known as the girl who died oil wrestling.

* * *

"That'll be 5 gold please."

"Here. Thanks again." Tomoe walked away from the stall, with a roll of cloth under her arm. Remembering what Blaze said on the boat, she decided to at least wear something under her kimono. Priestess typically wore cloth around their chests when training, allowing them to manoeuvre better, so it was an obvious choice. She made her way to the arena to cheer on Leina, assuming she was still fighting. Already she was impressed, desperate to see her succeed. Her courage was almost like an inspiration to Tomoe.

Curiously, there were groups of men standing by the door. Some were sharing drinks; others were looking through any nearby windows. Odd, since some of them were watching the first fight.

"What are you all doing out here? I thought you'd be inside watching. Is the fight over?" she asked. A taller man walked towards her. He seemed concerned.

"That Echidna lady chased us out, saying something about 'not wanting to be disturbed'." he explained.

"Who was she fighting?"

"The Wandering Warrior. She was getting beat pretty bad though." he replied. In a panic, Tomoe ran for the door, handing her cloth to one of the men standing by.

"Hold this please." Tomoe grabbed the handle and swung it open, casting light onto her.

"Whoa, she's armed with a sword!" he warned. Tomoe reached for her own and pulled it out, ready.

"So am I." she replied defiantly. With that, she ran into the arena, the men watching behind her.

"…Are all these fighters crazy?"

"Looks that way."

* * *

"Just say it. Accept defeat, and I'll make sure you live." whispered Echidna into Leina's ear. Leina felt numb and hot as the poison spread through her veins. She was paralysed, completely unable to fight back. She could barely form words.

"A-Am I going t-to die here?" she asked. Sonic and Blaze were gone, Tomoe was elsewhere, and the only person that could save her was herself. Tears began to stream down her eyes as regret filled her mind. She ran from home, with total strangers for protection. She should have known better. Echidna's soft laughter sickened her.

"No! You won't die tonight!" yelled a voice. Leina couldn't tell properly who it was; the voice was all muffled to her. Echidna looked up as a female figure jumped down into the arena, facing her. Across her face was pure fury. She still gave her a perverted grin, even though she didn't expect anyone coming in. Tomoe pointed her sword right at Echidna. "Let her go now, and you'll walk away with your life" she threatened coldly. Echidna threw Leina to the side and got up. Tomoe didn't budge in the slightest.

"Mmm, fresh meat." she taunted. "I've never fought with a woman from Hinomoto before. You'll be fun I think." Leina realised that she was talking to Tomoe, but she couldn't shout at her or even turn round. All she could see was oil and her almost lifeless hand. However, something changed in Leina. The burning feeling of the poison began to fade slightly. Leina's heart beat faster, thinking her death was seconds away. Then she started to wriggle her fingers.

"What did you do to her?!" demanded Tomoe, though Echidna just ignored her.

"Keltan, attack her," she ordered. Like a bullet, the snake leapt at Tomoe. She swung her sword right at his head, but her swing missed, and the snake bit down hard on her hand. Letting out a scream, Tomoe dropped her sword and fell onto her back. She instantly felt hot and numb as she lay there, her limbs draining of life. The snake let go of her hand and returned to Echidna as she crept over to Tomoe, getting down on her hands on knees over her. "Sad. Defeated by a single snake. Where are those quick reactions of yours?" she asked playfully. Licking her lips, Echidna moved her hands to Tomoe's kimono, and very slowly began to open it. Tomoe tried to kick her off her, but couldn't find the strength. As her vision blurred, she was shocked to suddenly see Echidna yanked from her.

Leina threw Echidna to the ground and in a quick move, reached for Tomoe's sword. Before Echidna could fight back, she found herself face to face with the pointed edge of a blade. Leina was still panting heavily, but to Echidna's shock she was standing up and had the strength to pull her off Tomoe. Keltan made another attempt to bite Leina and bit down hard on her leg but she didn't even seem to register the pain.

"That's not even possible…" muttered Echidna. Leina took a few steps back till she was beside Tomoe, never letting Echidna out of her sight. Tomoe looked up to Leina as she stood over her. "How are you even standing right now?! The poison should have paralysed you!" she demanded. Leina said nothing. What she did do was breath out. The sound of her exhaling seemed to echo like a ghostly whisper as swirls of bright golden energy left her mouth, dancing in the air. Echidna stared at the swirls in bewilderment. "What…is that?"

"I honestly don't know…" she sighed, clearly still in pain. In fear, Echidna got up and backed away slowly from her. Leina was something new to her, which made her very interesting. In a quick move, Echidna leapt out of the pool of oil and out of sight. Leina angrily screamed after her.

"GET BACK HERE! CURE TOMOE RIGHT NOW!" but her words were no use. Leina knelt at Tomoe's side and held her hand. "Tomoe?! Can you speak?!" she pleaded. Though Tomoe was still lacking feeling, she felt like she was regaining control of her body. With a grunt, she pushed herself up off the oily ground with Leina holding her in her arms. "Are you alright?" she asked again, more hopeful than before. Tomoe coughed loudly and took a heavy gasp of air, her breathing starting to improve.

"Y-Yes. I'm fine it's just…" she whispered. She was interrupted by a gag as if she was going to be sick. To Leina's surprise, pink swirls flew elegantly out of Tomoe's mouth. They flew into her face, feeling like a gust of warm air, but still disappeared nonetheless. It was the exactly the same thing that happened to her before with Sonic, so how was it happening to Tomoe? She still didn't get how she survived being poisoned either. Her death felt like it was just around the corner, so the fact she lived was a miracle. Leina briefly glanced at her free hand and gasped as it glowed with a sparkling golden hue. The sensation was strangely pleasant, despite the slightly fiery appearance The glowing began to fade out, and as it did, the ache in her hand left her a little bit.

"Tomoe, we need to talk." she said quietly.


	5. Chapter 5: Onwards

**(A/N: Tad shorter, but I wanted to get an update out for you all. Thanks you guys!****)**

**Chapter 6 is almost done. It should be released within the next few days!**

Their legs still felt a little bit irregular as they stumbled through the hallway of the hotel. Neither of them could tell if it was simply dark, of if whatever had happened to them had made them blind. Leina clumsily held Tomoe up as they stumbled into their room, not caring if their noise had awoken other people. Letting go, Tomoe slumped onto the bed, breathing slowly as her body recovered from the poison. The cold feeling of the poison had fled from her body, but she still felt like utter hell with pins and needles in her arms. Leina collapsed into the chair, laying her head onto the table with sweat running down her brow. Despite the lack of feeling, the second bite she received still affected her, albeit not as badly as the first did. For one, she could move. Despite her pain, she still made sure Tomoe made it there in one piece, putting others first.

Tomoe looked over as Leina's breathing sounded more strained, with worry on her face. "Leina, are you ok?" she asked. Leina coughed painfully as she brought her head back up. More golden strands of light left her open mouth. There was some strange beauty about how the light danced around. The light actually brightened up the room slightly before it dissipated. Leina still had trouble working out if it was a good thing or not. On the one hand, it was a scary thing to happen, as she had no idea where the energy came from. It could be her life energy for all she knew. On the other, it felt…refreshing and cleansing. Her body felt nice and warm as it left and any pain she had seemed to subside. She slumped back in her chair, staring in the darkness at the ceiling. The room suddenly lit up ever so slightly as a candle was lit. A pair of violet eyes came into Leina's vision, black hair hovering at the sides of her head. They stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds until Tomoe finally spoke. "Are you ok?" she whispered. Leina nodded her head lightly, her chest still heaving.

"I think so…I think it's gone now..." she sighed. Indeed, her body felt much better than it did mere moments ago. "What about you? It got a good bite out of you." Tomoe brought her right hand up and stared at it. What remained on her hand were 2 slightly red puncture wounds. Her hand wasn't even inflamed, and pain was almost none existent.

"The bites are almost gone already! How is that even possible?" Tomoe showed her 'bite' to her. In turn, Leina uncovered her bite on her chest and examined it. To her surprise, it was almost like the bite was never there. The pain was none existent, there was no bump or puncture wound and all that remained was some dried blood trailing down her chest. Her leg was still a little red, but appeared to have healed faster than she expected. She brought her attention back to Tomoe.

"Tomoe, back there some pink stuff came out of your mouth after you got bit, correct? I wasn't just seeing things?" she asked.

"Yes, just like what happened to you. What is wrong with us?"

"Did something happen to you with Sonic when I wasn't there?"

"No. But something did happen to me back at Hinomoto. I was with Blaze and after we defeated the Kouma Ninjas we suddenly were connected together. This strange power left her eyes and entered mine. After that happened, I exhaled some of the energy, just like back at that ring."

"Same thing, only with Sonic. I think it's fairly safe to say that we have been changed by whatever they did…Thanks by the way, for getting her away from me" Leina said with a thankful smirk.

"No, I have to thank you. If you didn't regain your strength, she would have…well, she would have done something to me, and I doubt murder was number one on her list," she said, with a hand gripping her kimono firmly shut. Leina got up out of her seat, with a hand on the table just in case she felt faint. "Where are you going?"

"Next door." She replied bluntly. "But first…" Leina went inside the bathroom. The sound of clothes being thrown to the floor came out of the doorway. After about a minute, Leina remerged with her gown on. "Well, I wasn't going through dressed like that, was I? It'd give them both a heart-attack or something" With that, she left the room. Tomoe followed on behind, re-entering the dark corridor.

Leina knocked loudly on the wooden door, desperately hoping that they weren't asleep. A tired male voice groaned from behind it.

"Urgh, who is it at this hour?" he asked.

"It's Leina. Me and Tomoe need an urgent word with you two" she replied firmly. A sigh came from the room as soft footsteps approached it. The door clicked, and opened. Sonic stood there, scratching the back of his head, eyes half closed. Before him stood two women in slightly tight clothing, looking very concerned about something. Despite his exhaustion, Sonic still cracked a smile.

"Heh, most men would kill to be me in this situation right now." he joked. Behind him, he could almost sense Blaze rolling her eyes at him.

"Sonic, enough with the jokes and just let them in" she moaned. She was lying on her stomach, facing the doorway. 'Not amused' was the expression she chose for the occasion. She got her wish for a hotel, but unfortunately didn't ask for 'no interruptions'.

**A few minutes later**

The four sat round the table and none of them looked like they really wanted to be there. Their beds were calling out to them. Except Blaze's which was screaming out to her. On the table lay two glowing gems. One Chaos Emerald and one Sol Emerald. Sonic sat up, in an attempt to resist falling asleep at the table.

"So, it happened to you as well then, Tomoe?" he asked. Tomoe nodded back at him. "Well, I guess it's finally time to let you know then, Leina." Leina narrowed her eyes, hating what she was hearing. "Leina, I didn't want to mention this to you, in case it was dangerous, but you have Chaos energy stored in your body" he admitted. The 3 looked at him, confused.

"And what does that mean?" she demanded. Sonic picked up the emerald.

"We shared something back when we ran away from Castle Vance. What exactly? Even Tails doesn't know. I guess you have 'Sol' energy inside you, Tomoe." he said. He passed the emerald to her. Reluctantly, Leina held the emerald in her hand.

It was a strange sensation. Despite the light weight, it felt heavy with pure, raw power. It was unlike anything she had ever felt in her life. A warm feeling swept up her arms and over her body, much like how she felt whenever the Chaos energy left her body. She glanced at her hand, watching as the same fiery glow returned, bright and golden. Very calm and collected, she handed the emerald back to Sonic, not realising the three of them were staring at her hands.

"What is that?" asked Tomoe. Blaze quickly spoke back, dismissively.

"It's probably nothing. Tomoe, you try it" said Blaze, handing her the Sol Emerald. The watched as she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Suddenly, fire started to emanate from her hands. The pink flame burned a pleasant glow, like a candle in the darkness. Tomoe didn't even feel any pain from the fire on her hands, as if it was normal. Gently, she put the emerald back down on the table, the flames extinguishing in the process. Tomoe held her hands to her face, looking for any burns.

"I think we've evidently shared our power." claimed Blaze.

"What power?" asked Leina.

"Not our natural abilities, like my flames or Sonic's speed, but you've both taken our ability to tap into the emerald's power." she said.

"But how does that explain us surviving being poisoned, or that our bites have healed faster?"

"I'm not sure. I imagine it's a lucky side effect. Still, you can't complain. Being able to resist being poisoned is a good thing, obviously." she finished. Leina examined her leg again. The bite had vanished into thin air. Her skin was smooth, no scarring left behind whatsoever. Sonic placed his hands on the table and stood up, bags under his eyes.

"Right. Meeting adjourned for tonight. It's late. I'm tired and I want to go to bed, right now," he said with a yawn. They all got up and stretched. Blaze stumbled over to her bed and flopped onto it, head first.

"Goodnight you two" she mumbled, her voice muffled by the bed sheets.

"Night." The two women spoke simultaneously. With their final word, they left the room together. Sonic slowly closed the door, before facing the feline.

"That's not the only power you meant. Was it?" he asked. Blaze brought her head up off the bed with concern in her eyes.

"No. They have a little bit more then I let on."

* * *

The Head Priestess shook uncontrollably in her bed, her head rocking back and forth violently. Her eyes were clenched shut as she mumbled in her bed. Two priestess sat by her bed, with and candle each. The Head Priestess had experienced visions before, but none as vivid as this one.

They looked at each other as the she began making groans of pain, panicking in her dream. Her expression kept changing between one of wonder and one of fear. Suddenly the bed sheets went flying as she sprang up with a deep gasp. She stared off in front of her, at everything and nothing. Her mind raced with the imagery she saw.

"Head Priestess? What did you see?" asked one of them, timidly. She didn't turn to face them, continuing to stare off into space, mouth open. She suddenly spoke in a monotonous voice.

"In their path, their enemies will cower. Warriors will turn…For in their bodies they hold much power…_The Wandering Warrior will burn…_"

* * *

The warm, blazing sun rose over the landscape, casting a orange glow on the city. Stall owners were still yawning as they made their way to work, tired murmurs of 'morning' occasionally sounding from the streets as Adstir awoke from its slumber. The sunlight soaked through the windows of many homes. Inside their room, the sunlight delicately cast it rays onto Leina's closed eyes, causing her to stir lightly. Never had she felt so comfortable in a bed, even if it wasn't _quite_ the same as the one she had at home. Squirming her arms and legs, she felt no more pain, no more exhaustion from the events of the day before. Her eyes slowly opened to the other far side of the bed. Tomoe still remained sleeping peacefully despite the room brightening up, facing her. They both lay as far away of each other as they could without falling off the side, but still for Leina, the image in front of her was almost 'ideal' from some reason...Leina shook her head, she couldn't think like that. She reached over and very gently shook her. Tomoe quietly groaned in protest.

"Morning, Tomoe" she whispered. Tomoe opened her eyes to the gently smiling woman across from her. She returned the expression.

"Morning," she yawned. "Sleep well?"

"Despite being almost poisoned to death? Best sleep I've had for a while," she replied. Leina leapt out of bed with a spring in her step, quickly grabbing her armour off the floor and running into the bathroom. Tomoe watched as a gown was thrown out of the doorway, a door closing after it. She got up and walked over to the window, admiring the view. Many people seemed to be crowding around the arena. Not just men, but women and children as well, all around a wall…

"Hey! Are you two awake?" Sonic yelled through the door. The arena would have to wait for now. Tomoe went up and let him in. The hedgehog was joined by Blaze. Despite being finally given a proper sleep, she still looked like she was in a same mood as before. Tired.

"You two rest well?" she asked. Sonic stretched his arms with a wink.

"Better than dirt!" he said happily.

"Better than a hammock." Blaze added. Sonic stepped inside.

"So, where is the 'Wandering Warrior' then?" he asked, noting the grunting from the bathroom. Leina open the door ever so slightly, poking her head out.

"In here, just getting ready." she said.

"Are you going to be long? The longer we wait, the longer we'll be walking at night" asked Tomoe. Leina disappeared from view, grabbing her breast-plate from a counter. She walked back to the door, failing to notice the web of belts at her feet.

"Almost! Just gotta put this on-woah!" she yelled. Her foot became trapped in the belts, causing her to lose her footing. Leina burst through the doorway and landed on her back with a crash, right in front of the three. Leina looked up to Sonic's surprisingly neutral expression, looking right back down at her. Instinctively, she covered herself with her still detected breast-plate. Sonic looked up and stared into the bathroom, as if none of them were there. He inhaled deeply before turning to Blaze and Tomoe.

"Ladies? It's happened," he sighed with a pained expression. He turned to walk out of the door, not paying attention to the women he had surrounded himself with. "I've gotten used to this." He left the room, with the three looking off to where he went.

**Moments later**

The four walked out into the morning sun, the light reflecting brightly off of Leina's armour. Despite people going about their normal business, a large of citizens seemed to be walking in the same direction, all towards the arena. A small crowd was gathered there. Not at an entrance, but at a wall.

"What's going on over there?" asked Leina. Tomoe decided to break off and follow the crowd.

"I suppose we're going to find out" replied Sonic, joining her. Blaze and Leina stood and watched as they walked up to the gathering of people. There was an air of excitement to the crowd, surrounding the arena walls. Guards stood right at it, like police at a crime scene. The two stood at the back, trying to peek over the people. Only Tomoe had any success in doing so, as Sonic lacked the height.

"Nothing to see here! There has been a robbery and that is all! Return to your lives!" yelled one of the guards, waving his arms in the air. Curious, Sonic barged his way through the crowd, managing to annoy several people in the process. When he made it to the front, a guard tried to stop him, raising a spear. His composure was lost however when he got a good look at him. "Um…sir? This is none of your business." he said. The wall had collapsed, allowing direct entrance to the building. Debris and bricks were scattered across the ground. Sonic put a hand on his hip.

"You say robbery. Why is that? That's all I wanna know." he asked.

"This hole leads to where the winnings are kept. Someone has blown up the wall, that's all you _need_ to know." he replied. Sonic rubbed his nose, studying the hole.

"I don't think the wall was blown up. I think it was smashed down."

"Why does that matter? It was still robbed."

"Oh, it doesn't matter to you, but it matters to me. Like I said, someone smashed it down."

"Impossible. This wall is far too thick for a normal human to smash down!" he exclaimed.

"Yep. You said it. No human could do it," he murmured. He knew only one person who could have the strength to do it. "Anyone get a look at who might have done this?"

"Of course. Some people got a glimpse of a suspect" he replied.

"What did they look like? Just out of curiosity. C'mon, you can tell me" he said with a sly grin.

"The owner said the thief had red hair and purple eyes." Sonic's heart leaped into his mouth at the description. "We believe it was the work of the Benevolent Bandit of the Wild, Risty." the guard announced. Sonic stopped getting excited and raised a brow. Whoever 'Risty' was, it wasn't who he had in mind.

"…Who?"

"At least that's what she calls herself. She's just a thief, albeit a good one"

"…Wait, no, what does she look like again?"

"I just said. Red, almost spiky hair, purple eyes. She dresses in red as well, hard to miss." he explained. Suddenly, Sonic's original thought wasn't quite so well thought out.

"…Right, ok. Well, I'll uh, leave you to your work then. Bye now." He muttered with his eyes firmly on the hole. He re-joined Tomoe at the back, still with a rather blank expression.

"Is something the matter Sonic?" she asked. Sonic just shook his head.

"Nothing. I just thought an old friend was nearby, that's all," he said. He looked up with a grin. "Anyway! We should be off. We've got a tournament to get to. First off though, supplies…"

**20 minutes later**

The world stood open to them, free to explore and to travel. White mountains stood tall in the distance with thick green forests surrounding them. The lush blue ocean ended far off, with a desert taking its place in the distance. Far beyond it all, out of sight, stood the capital of Gynos. The four stood by one of the exits of the city, taking the sight of the landscape in. To each other their perspectives, the world before them was something different.

To Sonic, he saw the run of his life. Memories of Green Hill and Emerald Coast filled his mind, happy memories of the past. Little glimpses of Planet Wisp were also in his eyes. If he wasn't escorting Leina to Gynos, he'd be out there running all day and night.

Blaze saw a thing of beauty. Everything in front of her was absolutely fantastic. First Hinomoto, then her first proper glimpse at Gynos? She could almost live in the universe if she didn't have duties back home.

Leina and Tomoe both saw a challenge ahead. Beyond the horizon was their destiny in the Queen's Blade tournament. To Tomoe, it was an objective. To Leina, it was a wish and a desire.

"Kay, so we have blankets and some water" said Sonic, looking back to his backpack, "We'll pay ya back Tomoe, really" Tomoe glared at him, having spent more than half the money she came with in one day. "So, it's gonna be a long walk. A very long walk. If anyone has any objections, now is your chance to let them be known." Sonic said with a grin, his back slightly heavier with the supplies strapped to them. Not a single word was uttered in response. "Awesome. Onwards!" And with that, the four took their first steps together as a group, on their way to the city of Gynos.

**1 hour later**

"My apologizes, General. The room has yet to be cleaned. We were not expecting a woman of your power." The hotel owner cowered in fear at the tall, imposing woman. Claudette said nothing and just stared him down. She could see the sweat on his brow as he nervously made his way to the door, with a bow.

"Halt. Who were the last occupants of this room?" she demanded. The man whimpered in response.

"One 'Lady Tomoe' m'lady and this other woman. She refused to give her real name" he replied. Claudette continued to glare accusingly at him.

"I assume she used a false name then?"

"Yes. She called herself 'The Wandering Warrior', General Claudette" he answered.

"Wandering Warrior? Leina, this charade has to end now," thought Claudette. "That will be all, sir" she said, looking towards the beds. The man quickly left the room without another word. Claudette slowly walked the room, examining the beds. Bed sheets still lay unmade and pillows kept the indents of the heads that lay on them.

"Sharing a bed with another woman. That's…different. I never thought she'd be desperate enough to get away that she'd sleep with a stranger." It was a funny situation, the sight of unkempt sheets paired with Leina brought back some memories…

* * *

"_But won't one of the maids do this for me?" A pair of innocent eyes gazed up at Claudette, clutching bed sheets. She wasn't for any of it._

"_Course they will, but that's not the point. The child of a noblemen shouldn't let anyone see her bed if it's a mess."_

"_Ok…" she replied. The child put her sheets down in a neat pile at her knees._

"_Leina, you're going to be the Countess someday. You need to be prepared" Claudette's tone became much more welcoming._

"_It could just as easily be you instead" replied Leina. Claudette just stared at her. Not angry, not saddened, just provoked. She didn't know. She just didn't know…_

* * *

"Hello, big sister…" hissed a familiar voice. The hissing became all the more literal as the woman's snake looked up at her. Echidna stood casually by the doorway, admiring the 'view'. "That little sister of yours was so adorable…I wish I could have had more time with her" she teased. Claudette felt rage build up inside.

"It was wrong of me to rely on a mercenary. I don't care how good you claim to be" she replied, bitterly. Echidna managed a soft chuckle.

"So strict…_I like it_" she teased, "However, I was under the impression I was after a nobleman's daughter. Your sister is anything but that." Claudette raised a brow.

"How do you mean?"

"Tell me, did your father breed with gods as well?" she asked. Insulted, Claudette reached for her sword. Echidna raised her hands. "Hey, it was just a question. Calm yourself" she said slyly. Claudette kept her hand firmly on her blade as Echidna walked towards her. "You see, my plan was to poison your sister, and then bring her back from the brink of death. Both to teach her a lesson and to have a bit of fun…unfortunately I was interrupted." She explained.

"You mean didn't save her?!"

"I didn't need to. See, while I was dealing with the intruder, your dying, paralysed sister pulled me back and held a blade to my throat. Nobody has been injected with that much venom and survived without an antidote. You could have warned me she breathed golden fire as well." she finished.

"She can't. What are you talking about?!"

"After that, I ran. Your sister is something new alright. I want to see her develop as a fighter. With help she managed to destroy that massive metal thing in the square. She could be an excellent fighter…granted I don't see why she chooses to surround herself with a blue hedgehog, a purple cat and a priestess, but still…there is potential. Besides, if something were to happen to her, then who would be in line to be the next Countess?" Echidna pointed a finger at her.

"Elina mentioned a hedgehog…no, it must be a lie," Claudette thought to herself, removing her sword from her back. "Did you let her escape just so you could make stupid jokes and tell more lies?!" Claudette charged at Echidna, who just stood there as if there was no danger. She swung her sword at her, though Echidna jumped out of the way without effort.

"It occurred to me while I was having my fun that if you became Countess, I could charge a bigger fee!" she admitted. Enraged, Claudette took another swing, slicing right through one of the candles sitting in the room. Echidna again leapt of the way and onto the windowsill, staring Claudette down. "I mean, you have all the qualities of a good Countess. In fact, you're better qualified than either of your sisters. You're the most deserving and you know it. Pity. You had to be the odd one out. Red hair and green eyes, a pure Vance child you are not." she taunted with a mischievous grin. Claudette stared at her for a moment. If she attacked again, then what would that change? Nothing. Not a damn thing. Claudette cautiously lowered her sword with a defeated sigh. Echidna dropped the smile.

"Hm. I suppose mercy is in your brain after all. Word of advice; Beware your sister. She's not the same woman that left your castle that night. Farewell, Thundercloud General." Swiftly, Echidna flipped out of the window and out of sight. Claudette watched where she left, thinking about her words. Of all of them, her sister breathing 'golden fire' was the most bizarre.

"If you want something done right…"

**A few hours later**

"Arrrggh! How far can one person travel in a day?!" cried Nanael as she and Tails approached the city of Adstir. They had left in the morning, and they would arrive in the evening. The evening of the following day. Tails was to blame for the delay. "Because of you, we might not catch up to them!" she shouted back at the tired fox. On his back was a rather large rucksack full of items and equipment.

"Sorry, but we need this stuff! It might be important or useful! You never know!" he panted. Nanael didn't care for his excuses.

"Why did you wait until we were halfway there, and then turn back?!" she yelled, "Then, because believe it or not extra weight slows us down, we had to spend the night in the freaking woods! Oh, why didn't I just leave you behind?!" she asked herself.

"You wanted to see what stuff I had! It's not my fault alien life interests you! You could easily have flown away, but nope! You wanted to look at the stuff I had!" he replied back, "For the love of- can we stop here?! Even if just for a break" he asked. Nanael sighed as she slowly made her descent. Something caught her eye.

"Hey, what's that big thing in the square?" She pointed to a decaying mass of metal, many men surrounding it with tools. Tails sped up his flight towards it. He recognised what it was more than anyone else. Landing, Tails made his way up to a random man carrying a large armful of metal and components. He was a strong looking gentleman.

"Excuse me, what is that?" he asked. The man stared at him, but only for a moment, as if he saw him before.

"Beats me, kid. Came from the sky. It was going to attack everyone, but these four random people stopped it"

"Four?"

"Yeah. Let me see...uh, there was this blue spiky thing…a purple thing that made fire…this crazy, but hot chick with a sword and some priestess with exploding cards" he explained. Tails could match 3 of those descriptions. He turned to Nanael.

"Nanael! They were here! They took out this robot!" he yelled excitedly, pointing to the pile of scrap. Nanael just stared at him.

"A what now?"

"A robot"

"…Yea, I'm not sure what that is." she replied.

"Oh yeah, different universes. My mistake," he turned back towards the man. "So, what are you all doing with the robot remains?"

"Scrap metal! Metalwork businesses has been booming here ever since it was taken out" he replied happily. Nanael stopped paying attention. It was Tails' concern, not her's. Nanael was itching to start a Queen's Blade fight, to do her duty as an angel…Her attention was drawn to the rather important lady getting on a horse. Nanael took out her handbook, and flipped through the pages frantically. The woman's face popped up:

"Claudette – The Thundercloud General…what is she doing all the way out here?...Unless…" she thought to herself. Another woman spoke to Claudette very briefly. With a nod, Claudette rode through the streets at a brisk pace, away from where Castle Vance would be.

The penny dropped.

"Tails, we have to go, right now!" she yelled, shaking his shoulders.

"Why?"

"We just do, come on!" she shrieked. Without another word, she took off into the air. Groaning with frustration, Tails followed her at a slower pace.

"Where are we going?!" he yelled. Nanael was beaming on the inside with excitement.

"We're going to find Leina Vance!" she screamed happily, spinning in the air like a missile. She picked up the pace, leaving Tails behind.

"H-Hey! Wait up!" he yelled, his tails spinning furiously as he tried to catch up. An opportunity had arisen, and Nanael was not going to let it slip by.

**Many hours later**

Crickets chirped happily to themselves in the presence of the four strangers gathered around the campfire. Sonic, Blaze and Tomoe all watched in anticipation as Leina sat down with nervous frown at the massive mushroom on her lap. After several hours of walking through the landscape, they stopped for the night. To Sonic and Leina's dismay, they stopped in a wooded area. Déjà vu of two nights ago came to their minds. At least they had other company.

"I've got a bad feeling about this one." murmured Sonic. It was a strange colour with red spots over the top. Reminded him of something he'd see in Mushroom Hill, and he didn't want to eat any of those ones either.

"This one should be good enough. Here goes nothing." Leina felt a drop of sweat go down her brow as she edged her face closer to the mushroom. Closing her eyes, she took a bite. The mushroom was thick and rubbery, completely tasteless. With a strained gulp, she swallowed down the chunk.

"Well, how is it?" asked Blaze. Leina's eyes snapped open as mushroom hit her stomach. It was a funny sensation, as she was expecting something worse. She giggled nervously…and then the nausea kicked in. The mushroom was not going to stay in her stomach for long and every synapse in her brain screamed 'CLEAR A PATH'. Holding in her ascending discomfort, Leina jumped from her seat and ran quickly behind a small shrub nearby the campfire. Initially there was silence, until the horrible retching sounds came from her general direction. They watched as Leina continued to vomit up the mushroom. "I'm going to say not recommended then?" Blaze asked with a sarcastic tone. Sonic picked up the discarded mushroom and tossed it away and out of sight. Leina eventually remerged from the bush in very rough state.

"Ahaaa, that was nasty!" she exclaimed. She stopped dead in her tracks and held her hands to her face. They seemed to leave a trail as they moved. The colours around her started to change randomly, a whole rainbow of colours. "…What is this weird stuff I'm seeing?!" she said loudly, waving her hands about like an amused child. Sonic put his head in his hands.

"Oh, don't tell me that was a magic mushroom…" he muttered in a tired tone.

"What's magical about that mushroom?" asked Tomoe.

"It's not magical, but it I hear you see weird stuff if you eat one. Basically, you get high." he explained. Leina started to sniff the air randomly like a dog before running right for Sonic, grabbing him by the shoulders, her face inches from his own.

"I can smell colours…" she whispered. Sonic stared back at her, almost frightened. She moved away from Sonic and grabbed Blaze instead. "What's happening to me? Am I going to be ok?! Willthiscrapwearoffeventually?!" she spoke quickly, almost unintelligibly. Blaze went to say something, but before she did, Leina let go of her and leapt at Tomoe, bringing her into a protective hug. "Monsters. Everywhere. I won't let them get you. I won't let them get anybody!" she blurted out, rocking herself and Tomoe back and forth madly. Tomoe felt her face turn red as Leina buried her face into her shoulders. She eventually let go and simply curled up into a ball near the fire, shaking. The 3 watched her closely, making sure she wouldn't just explode there and then.

"…So she can recover from a snake bite, but not a mushroom? That sucks." muttered Sonic as Leina continued to lie on the ground in a delirious state, shaking randomly.

"Will she be ok?" asked Tomoe, concerned for her safety.

"I think she'll be fine…eventually." replied Blaze, trying not to be amused by the situation. "Hey Leina? Here's a life lesson for ya; don't eat random mushrooms." Thunder filled the air, soon followed by the sound of rain hitting the leaves above them. Luckily they chose to take shelter under thick foliage.

* * *

The rain battered against Claudette's face as she rode on horseback through the wilderness, with only a cloak for warmth her body in the harsh conditions. Despite it all, her vision was always set on what was up ahead, with zero distractions.

"Hmph. Rain and a runaway girl. Just like that day…" she thought, allowing her memories to fill her head.

* * *

"_Hold on, Leina! Please!" she cried. Her sister dangled over the edge of the bridge, to the ravine below._

"_I will, I promise I won't let go!" she yelled back, surprisingly calm. Her arm at its limit, Claudette slowly began to pull her up with a grunt. Leina whimpered as her sister strained to save her…_

…_The rain continued to fall on their faces as they walked hand in hand, back to their home._

"_I was never really scared. I knew I could count on you to save me. That's why I didn't cry" said Leina. Claudette felt a warm smile creep onto her face._

"_Heh, ok Leina"_

"_I love you and I always will, Claudette." She said nothing in return. Unfortunately, her sister's love wasn't enough to keep her warm in the cold rain. Men shouted at each other as they approached the castle walls, alerting other guards and maids…_

…_Leina stood by the fire wrapped in a towel, surrounded by maids clutching her wet clothes in their hands. "Thank goodness you're safe. I've never seen the Count so worried before. You must never leave the estate alone again-"_

"_I scratched myself when I fell off the castle wall" The maid clutched her hands and examined the wound._

"_Someone get a bandage!"_

"_It's ok! Claudette saved me" she replied innocently. Claudette stood at the doorway, still dripping wet herself. Some form of gratitude from everyone else wouldn't have gone amiss…_

…_Alone as always, Claudette knelt by the flower bed, allowing the rain to fall down with only a cloak to keep her clothes dry. She plucked a few fully blossomed ones, their colours the only thing really sticking out among the grey nature of the day. Claudette heard soft footsteps approach her and a shadow cover her body. She turned and looked up._

_It was a man, tall and imposing, dressed in very 'official' clothes. A smartly trimmed bread hung onto his face as he smiled gently at her. "Those are beautiful flowers. They seem kind and gentle." he spoke softly. Claudette just looked away, tears forming in her eyes. For once, she earned a smile from her father…_

* * *

"That day, I learned a terrible truth. One that I must always keep secret. I could never tell my father, or anyone else. I knew my father loved me, and without knowing when or how, I believe that one day, he'd smile at me that way again. Hmph, enough reminiscing. I have a sister to catch up to. Let's see if what Echidna said was true after all." Angrily, she pressed her horse forward even faster, off into the distance. Lightning shot across the sky, indicating her rage.

* * *

"Mu-Mushrooms are scary…I don't like them…" Leina stayed curled up in a ball, trying to fend off the parasitic worms in front of her with her mind. At least, that's what she thought she was doing. Tomoe kept a hand on her forehead, checking for change in temperature. Sonic lay on the ground, staring off into space as Blaze sat at his side, watching the drugged 'warrior' like a circus act. Occasionally a drop of rain would drop onto Sonic's nose. Not often enough to make him move, but just often enough to irritate him.

"How is she doing?" asked Blaze.

"I think she's worked out she's not being attacked by worms so I think she's calming down. No Chaos energy either, must not work on drug effects. That or it's a slow worker" she replied. Leina started singing in a scared tone.

"Everything's alright~ I won't feel this way for-ever…" Tomoe smiled at her attitude. It was almost cute, in a bizarre way. A strange sparkling sound came from above. Looking up, Tomoe gasped as a glowing blue figure fluttered down to ground level. She seemed cheerful, her wings fluttering randomly. Sonic and Blaze watched with shock and Leina managed to snap out of her delirium, looking up at the angel. "W-Who are you?" she asked, scared.

"I'm just a friendly angel passing by!" she squeaked. Sonic felt his face droop, looking briefly over to where he threw the mushroom.

"Nobody else ate that, did they?" he asked, deadpan. The angel looked back to an exhausted yellow fox, landing with a grunt. Sonic and Blaze instantly perked up when they saw him. "Tails?! What are you doing here?!" asked Sonic with a happy grin. Exhausted, Tails managed a wave.

"I came here with Nanael. Thought I should tag along, seeing as how she was after you two in the first place. He quickly noticed Blaze along with him. "Good to see you're alive and well, Blaze."

"You too, though I'm finding your 'angel' friend a little hard to believe. I take it you're Nanael as he said?" she replied.

"Yup. Highly acclaimed angel of heaven" she beamed.

"Make that _very_ hard to believe."

"Yeah, that's what I thought as well, but she's legit. A real angel" added Tails.

"It's an honour to be in your presence, angel" said Tomoe. Nanael grinned smugly at her praise as Tails walked past her. He gazed at the cloaked woman, with a rather ill Leina lying in front of her.

"I don't believe we've met. I'm Tails. 'Miles Prower' if you prefer" He offered Tomoe a friendly handshake.

"Nice to meet you, Tails. I'm Tomoe. I heard you're the one who gave Leina a new set of armour"

"Yeah, that's right. What's wrong with her?" he asked.

"Ate a bad mushroom. She's a little…ill" Leina sat up very slowly and addressed the fox.

"I'm fine…I just need a minute or ten-thousand" she groaned. Nanael walked up to her with a smile.

"Well, we can't have you sick, now can we?" Nanael took out a small triangular container, decorated with symbols, one of which was clearly supposed be Nanael's wings. Leina started at the container as if she had never seen one before in her entire life.

"It's Angel's Milk! One gulp of this and you'll be right as rain in no time!" she explained. Leina didn't hesitate to grab the milk and quickly started to gulp it down greedily. On the inside, Nanael was chuckling evilly.

"Yes, I need you fit and healthy…Fighting fit you might say" she thought to herself. Leina stopped drinking for a brief moment and without warning, spat the milk back at Nanael. Leina panted heavily, milk still dribbling down her chin.

Nanael stood still, the milk making her feel far colder than before and her wet clothes clinging uncomfortably to her skin. Growling, she clenched a fist.

"HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO AN ANGEL HUMAN, DO YOU WISH TO CONJURE UP MY WRATH?!" she squawked lpudly, right at Leina's face. Leina gagged slightly, before blowing out more golden energy right into her face. Nanael flinched as the streaks blew over her. "…Ok, what is that?" she asked flatly. Thinking on his feet, Tails quickly reached inside his bag and took out a clear glass jar. Unscrewing the lid, he swiped at the golden energy, trapping it. Quickly screwing the lid back on, Tails held the jar high, triumphant.

"Chaos Energy! At least now I can actually analyse it when I get the chance." he yelled. The whole jar glowed a rather beautiful gold as he sat down happily next to Sonic and Blaze with a smile on his face. Still distressed, Nanael sat next to Leina and Tomoe. Leina actually sat up straight, though she still looked rough around the edges. Two universes sat opposite each other. A hedgehog, a cat and a fox facing an angel, a priestess and a wannabe fighter.

"Tails, I think we worked out what effect the emeralds had on Leina and Tomoe" said Sonic. Tails raised a brow at Tomoe.

"You have Chaos Energy as well?" he asked.

"Not Chaos Energy, Sol Energy." replied Blaze. Nanael sat there trying to make sense of what they were talking about.

"Well, anyway. While we were at the city, Leina and Tomoe were both poisoned by this crazy woman with a snake. Apparently they just exhaled more of that stuff and they felt fine afterwards. Their injures even healed faster than anything else. The bites they sustained aren't even there anymore" continued Sonic, pointing at Tomoe's completely healed hand. "We think they have gained some healing abilities, what do you think?"

"It's possible, but I think there is more to than that. It didn't happen at random" he explained, looking thoughtful.

"What do you mean?" Tails analysed the way everyone was sitting. Sonic and Leina sat directly opposite each other, as did Blaze and Tomoe. He also noted how Nanael sat exactly opposite to him, and how they both had the ability to fly.

"There are tons of universes out there, and our universe and their universe exist very closely to each other, hence why we were able to come here. But let me ask you guys something…do you feel a connection to the person sitting opposite you?" he asked. The other 5 looked at each other, confused. Nanael especially eyed up the fox opposite her, not seeing how they have a connection at all.

"What like a friendly connection? I guess so. Leina is a friend to me" replied Sonic. Leina gave him a warm smile.

"Not that kind of connection. Let me show you. Sonic, can you pass me your Chaos Emerald?" Sonic took it out and handed the green gem to the fox. "Now Leina, as I hold the emerald, can you take my other hand?" he instructed. Leina reached for and held his hand. Nothing happened. The emerald didn't change at all, and nothing happened to Tails. "Ok, now Sonic can you do the same with Leina?" he handed it back to him. As instructed, Leina held Sonic's hand as he grasped the emerald.

As Tails expected, the emerald started to glow brightly, dousing the 6 in a green hue. "Oh! Pretty!" muttered Nanael, gazing at the gem. Sonic let go, causing the emerald to return to its normal glow.

"And here is the scary part…" continued Tails, taking the emerald back and facing Nanael. "Nanael, if you don't mind?" Tails offered his hand to her. Slowly, Nanael took it. As he feared…the emerald started to glow, just as it did with Sonic and Leina. "Well, now I see who I have a link with" he muttered, un-enthusiastically.

"So, what does this mean we're destined to get married or something?" asked Nanael.

"No. The emeralds merely respond to certain people interacting with each other, maybe because they are similar. That's why nothing happened when Leina held my hand, but something did when she held Sonic's. I'll also hazard a guess that's why whatever happened between Sonic and Leina had happened in the first place. The emeralds saw the connection and bam! They connected. If Tomoe has Sol Energy, then the same applies to her and Blaze" he finished. Blaze wasn't done with him yet.

"…So why didn't you and Nanael link together then? As in, bright glowy, thundery link?" she asked. Tails didn't have a clear answer.

"I don't actually know…but at least it's something." Tails nervously rubbed the back of his head. Sonic couldn't take his eyes off Leina ever since he did the connection.

"…Define 'similar' by the way. Are you saying that Leina is the 'me' of this universe?" he said with slight distaste. The idea that his human counterpart was a woman like Leina troubled him a bit. Leina chuckled to herself.

"Don't be silly, Sonic. We're different in many ways! I mean, you're male, I'm female. You're a hedgehog, I'm not. I want to explore the world, you've explored your world and then some, the list goes on and on." she replied with a wink, waggling her finger at him. He paid attention to the finger waggle, something he does all the time.

"…Yeah, I guess…" he mumbled, feeling slightly insecure. A giggle escaped Blaze's mouth at his reaction.

* * *

Rows of children slept in their rather old looking beds. Each of them with a soft smile on their faces, dreaming happily. At the doorway to the bedroom, stood an elderly woman, clutching a small candle.

"Sleep well children. Hopefully soon you'll find a home of your own." she said lovingly. Silently, she closed the bedroom door. She made her way down the dark hallway and into a kitchen, where small pieces of bread littered the table from their last meal. "I'm glad you turned up when you did. We were running low on funds." The woman addressed the single woman sitting at the table. Her long blood red hair stretched down to her lower back. A rather brutal looking mace sat on the table along with a shield. She was one of the most important people the elderly woman knew, even if she disagreed with her revealing attire.

"It's not a problem. 'Bout time those guys had some money taken from them. Besides, I had help." Risty looked over to the corner of the room. The woman still couldn't believe her eyes.

"How did you get so much money so fast?" she asked, looking at the rather large sack of gold coins on the table.

"When you have 2 strong people on board, it's easy to get across the land. Besides, he runs fast" she said. "To be honest, I couldn't have done it without his help. Oh, he was reluctant at first but when I explained what I was up to, he was all game. Pity he wouldn't let me sell his shiny gen of his. I suppose I owe him one, so I won't be selling it." The woman smiled as she reached for two glasses and a bottle of wine, bringing them over to Risty.

"Well, I think I toast is in order for your success, Risty. These children can be fed for at least 2 months with that money. Maybe 3 if we're lucky" she said, pouring out the glasses. She held her glass up.

"Nah, not to me. To him. He made it possible. I wasn't gonna break through that wall myself" she replied with a chuckle. Risty raised her glass up and clanked it against the woman's. "A toast…" she started, looking over to the red figure sleeping in the corner with a serious frown on his face. He was smaller than her, but as strong without a single doubt. In his large, spiked hands was a glowing red emerald.

"…to Knuckles the Echidna."


	6. Chapter 6: Pain

**(A/N: Next Chapter will be much longer, and it's when the fun really begins as well.)**

Thick fog swept the earth like running water; the trees in the forest were still damp with rainwater. Only the sound of snoring came from the forest floors as the morning sun began to rise over the area. The sun's rays peaked through some of the leaves covering the group of six sleeping idly. Combined they made up the strangest mix of people possible.

A single drip of water fell down from a leaf and with pin-point accuracy, hit Sonic right on the nose with a soft, audible drip. The hedgehog's eyes opened fairly quickly, a frown already appearing on his face.

"3rd day in another world and the 2nd in the woods. Someone has it in for me" Sonic pushed himself off the forest floor and took a look around. The fire had long since died out leaving only ash. How he and the others hadn't frozen to death yet was a strange mystery. Maybe Blaze had something to do with it, after all she was the one with the power of fire at her disposal. Funnily enough, Blaze was sleeping next to him at a comfortable distance. It was one of the few times she actually seemed to be at peace. Her arms were draped over towards him, as if she was reaching out. Sonic decided to think nothing more of it, before he dwelled too deep. To his right lay Tails, facing away from him. Sonic could almost sense he wasn't exactly comfortable, but he smiled at the fact that through it all Tails stood by him. Through chaos itself, through every single day of doomsday, though every piece of danger, Tails stuck with him, like a little brother Sonic never had.

Then there were the strangers of the group. Well, the strangers to him anyway. Across from him, Leina and Tomoe lay side by side, facing each other at a rather close distance. Sonic couldn't stop thinking about what Tails said the night before regarding himself and Leina and the connection they apparently shared. They could be similar? How? He and Leina were different in so many ways, _especially _in a physical way. The more he thought about it, the more he began to question their 'connection'. There had to be a defined reason for them being together, so what was it? Tomoe was another one to think about. She was similar to Blaze? In what way? Tomoe seemed nicer than Blaze to start with. He looked at how the four were positioned. Leina and Tomoe faced each other, as did he and Blaze when he awoke. Tomoe even seemed to have her arms in the same position as Blaze had hers. He allowed his mind to think about it for a while. In the short time they knew each other; Leina and Tomoe seemed to get along extremely well. Sonic put it down to them travelling with random creatures from another universe allowing them to bond, or maybe there was something else to them. He didn't know, he wasn't a mind reader.

Finally, Sonic turned his attention to the supernatural figure lying next to Leina. The first thing that really struck him about Nanael was her wings. Why was one bigger than the other one? Unlike Leina and Tomoe who slept with a certain elegance, Nanael slept like a lazy teenager with her limbs stretched out in random directions. Not to mention she was _snoring._ Nothing elegant about her, this was ironic for an angel. At least she helped Leina by accelerating her recovery from her magic mushroom.

Sonic remained thoughtless for a few seconds before putting his face in his hands with a frustrated groan. He felt stupid for letting Eggman exit his mind as if he wasn't a problem. Sure he was taken down fairly quickly, but where did he go? How did he just disappear? He needed those emeralds more than anything. Two emeralds at his disposal were two emeralds too many. As far as he knew, Eggman didn't know how to use Chaos Control. It was as if he was taken away by some kind of external force. Maybe he had some kind over emergency teleport. It seemed likely, but they had to track him down on top of that.

"Emeralds, Eggman and Gynos. I'm not usually this busy" he wondered aloud. A soft murmur came from his side. To Sonic's surprise, Blaze was making a soft noise next to him with her tail swaying lightly in the dirt. It was like a motorbike going past in the distance. She was _purring_. BLAZE was PURRING. Sonic allowed the concept to sink in for a moment.

For the longest time, Sonic had never heard her purr, nor do anything cat-like. To hear Blaze purr was just plain weird and strangely adorable, being such as stoic character most of the time. Sonic continued to watch her tail, hypnotized by the smooth movements. The purring suddenly stopped and her eyes opened up very narrowly. She looked up at him with a look of slight embarrassment and her tail stopped, realizing what she was doing. Sonic started to grin widely, feeling a laugh come up his throat. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity.

"You. Heard_**. Nothing**_." she hissed with her cheeks going slightly red. Sonic suppressed the chuckle, simply replying by sticking a finger in each ear and shaking his head with the biggest grin across his face. Blaze sighed and sat up, looking at the others. "Should we wake them up?"

"Yeah, it'll be a long walk"

* * *

"Wait! You're all leaving so soon?!" Nanael asked, panicking. The 6 had gotten up and wasted no time getting their stuff together. Leina and Sonic were busy doing assorted stretches. Blaze and Tomoe watched, noting that they both moved in the same smooth motions in perfect synchronization. Tails was sorting through his backpack, pulling out random pieces of tech that could only be identified if Tails actually verbally said what they were, which was never.

Nanael couldn't afford for them to leave so quickly, not now. Especially the blonde in steel.

"Well, yeah. No reason to stick around" replied Sonic, "Got places to go after all"

"But you can't go!" she suddenly exclaimed. The 5 turned to face her, all wondering about her sudden reluctance. Blaze approached her.

"Why not?" she asked, eyebrow raised. Nanael grinned nervously, rubbing the back of her head, desperately trying not to make eye contact with anyone.

"Weeeeellll...Uuuh, I just thought you guys could ask any question you might have about the Queen's Blade tournament! You are addressing an angel after all! We angels are pretty much in charge of the whole thing! It's a rare opportunity you must agree!" she spoke rapidly with a cheesy grin.

"I think we're fine" replied Blaze.

"I know all I need to know about it already" said Tomoe. Nanael clenched her fists in frustration.

"Oh come on! Who could resist such a deal?!" Nanael flew up to Tomoe. "C'mon, surely there must be something you need to know! Other combatants? Locations?" Tomoe simply shook her head. Desperate, Nanael went over to Leina, grabbing her shoulders. "What about you? I mean, you must be interested in some way, right?!"

"Sorry, I'm just not interested in the Queen's Blade tournament. I'm kinda wanting to do my own thing" she replied calmly, gently removing Nanael's hands. Nanael was now visibly distressed. She was losing them. As a last resort, she turned to the lavender feline.

"Surely _you_ must be somewhat interested in participating in the tournament? I mean, if you're travelling with Tomoe, you must be somewhat capable of fighting" Nanael reached into her pouch and took out a small hand book and a pen. "Where can I put your name down?" she asked with a grin on her face, acting almost like a eager saleswoman. Blaze put a hand on her hip.

"Ok, 1? I'm from another universe. Hell, on top of that, I'm from another dimension in Sonic's universe. 2? I have no interest and 3, even if I was interested, I have duties elsewhere that I need to attend to. Becoming queen doesn't sound like a riveting upgrade. I'll pass up on that little opportunity of yours" she retorted. Nanael felt her heart sink, until Sonic approached her.

"I have a question. Why can't males participate? Why isn't there a 'King's Blade'?" he asked. Nanael was more than happy to have a question to slow them down, but she just wished it was one she could answer.

"It's been a queen they past thousands of years, why stop now?" she answered.

"Has there ever been a king?"

"Not that I know of…nope" Sonic couldn't think of what to say in return. Perhaps if was some kind of ancient tradition in this universe. Instead, he took note of her handbook.

"Lemme see that for a sec" he said, taking it. The others gathered round, looking at the pages. Inside was a bunch of random instructions and information about the tournament. It all seemed basic enough. 'A fight is over when a participant is rendered unable to fight', 'All participants must be women regardless of age' etcetera, etcetera. The book got interesting when they got to the Possible Participants' section. Various different portraits appeared of women with their names and titles inscribed below. Among them was an elven woman, a short haired ninja and a woman with very long spiky hair.

"Is that Risty?" wondered Sonic, remembering the guard's words. Looking through the pages, a familiar face popped up. "Hey Leina? Elina is in this" he said, pointing to her portrait.

"But she's not in the tournament…" she replied.

"We angels take note of all possible participants. You might find yourself in there as well" Nanael cut in. Sonic continued to flip through the pages, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Hey, here's Tomoe!" said Sonic, pointing to the page. Tomoe couldn't help but smile at her portrait, at least she was officially recognized as a fighter. Sonic flipped the page to find another portrait with symbols decorated around it. The woman wasn't smiling like in the other portraits. On her eye was a chuck of metal, like some kind of eye patch. "Who is that?" he asked.

"That's the current queen, Aldra. She's been undefeated for the past 3 tournaments. A fierce opponent" Nanael answered. Aldra reminded him of someone, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. He turned the page to find it completely blank. Before he could ask about it, a picture faded into view. It was a woman with clearly long hair, and a strange curved headpiece. Leina froze in place.

"But that's…" she muttered, looking up into the fog. Hidden in it was a large shape, a horse without doubt. Next to it was a figure with that same headpiece seen in the portrait. The 5 stared diligently at whoever it was as the sun shined through the trees, clearing the fog. Claudette had kept the same frown she wore through her entire journey there. At last she had caught up. Claudette looked at the other figures around her, especially the blue spiky one. Elina and Echidna weren't lying after all. Leina stepped back in fear, reaching for her sword.

"Leina. You move fast, but not fast enough" she said sternly, "We're leaving. Just me and you." Leina shook her head slowly.

"You followed me all the way here?" she asked. Behind her she heard what could only be described as the most sickening giggle she had ever heard in her entire life. Leina turned to Nanael, who was wearing a very devious smile. "Are you working for her?!" demanded Leina. Nanael's grin didn't move whatsoever.

"Maybe!" she replied in a sing-song-y voice. If only Nanael could know what the others felt at that time. To think they trusted her. Blaze literally felt herself burn with anger as she glared at her. Leina turned back to her sister.

"Well I hate to tell you, sister, but I'm not going back. I have an opportunity on my hands to do what I want, when I want! This is my escape, and I'm not looking back. I can do what I please!" shouted Leina, desperately trying to convince Claudette otherwise. She simply looked at her with tired eyes, as if she had heard it a thousand times before.

"What was the purpose of this journey of yours? So you could participate in these vulgar duels? Like it or not, you bear the Vance name. You're a disgrace, Leina" she hissed. Leina felt her spirit drop at her sister's words.

"A little harsh there, don't you think?" added Sonic. He wasn't smiling whatsoever; in fact he could almost feel what Leina was going through. Claudette turned to the hedgehog.

"And this is what you surround yourself with. A rodent, a feline, a pest and two total strangers. I'm not even surprised. I'm aware of who you are, hedgehog, and what you did. Remain quiet, and you might just live" she threatened. Sonic and Blaze both clenched their fists, ready to defend themselves if they had to. Leina's spirit temporally returned in anger.

"That 'rodent' was the one who gave me the opportunity to be who I want to be, rather than what our damn father wants me to be! If I didn't meet Sonic, then chances are I'd be back at the castle, wallowing in misery!" she yelled back at her. Claudette shook her head.

"This is just ridiculous. If I have to beat some sense into you, then so be it" she said, removing her cloak and revealing her armour.

Or rather, her certain lack-there-of. Like Leina, her left arm was armoured to a certain point, but like her younger sister Elina, Claudette went for the 'metal bra' look. Sonic and Tails felt their faces go a little red, with Tails covering his eyes in a child-like manner. Blaze and Tomoe both looked on with discomfort. Blaze raised her hand in the air to speak.

"Ok, seriously. Are all women dressed like this? If you're warriors, then you're not defending yourselves very well" she muttered. "Take a note from Tomoe's book"

"As the Thundercloud General Claudette, I formally challenge you to a duel! Leina Vance, successor of Count Vance, prepare to defend yourself!" she proclaimed, drawing her sword. Defiantly, Leina drew her own, trying to hide her terror that she kept inside.

"If I have to do this to secure what I want to do in life, then so be it" Suddenly, Nanael rushed in between the two with an excited grin on her face.

"Alright! Now this is happening! Allow me to make this official!" she said with glee. "I will officially bear witness, by the power of the gods!" Nanael raised her hand into the air.

Out of nowhere, markings appeared on the ground with a ring surrounding Leina and Claudette. The symbols were in an ancient language that even Nanael couldn't decipher. A massive purple 'bubble' appeared at the center of the ring and expanded, quickly enveloping the 3. The bubble didn't stop there, as it quickly passed over Sonic and the others as they stood in shock. Eventually the bubble took over a massive chunk of the forest, towering above even the tallest trees.

Back at Adstir, civilians immediately stopped what they were doing and looked up the mysterious spheres high in the sky, as the projected image of the Thundercloud General appeared before them, ready to do battle.

"Hey look! It's starting!" shouted one man, pointing to the sphere.

"But it's so early in the morning!" replied another woman. Everyone listened up as Nanael's voice came from all around them, like a commentator.

"On this side, we have the Thundercloud General, Claudette! On the other side, we have a newcomer! The Wandering Warrior – Leina!" she yelled happily. Occupants of Castle Vance watched with anticipation as Leina's visage was plastered over the spheres. Elina stood rather timidly next to the towering figure of her father. In her head, she was having a hard time deciding what was worse. Her sisters fighting or the possibility of Leina getting hurt. Her father stood emotionless as ever.

"B-But, I don't understand. Father?" she asked, desperate for answers. Her father simply turned and walked away, muttering under his breath.

"That fool" Elina watched as he walked off before bringing her attention back to the starting fight. Elina's tough, controlling attitude from before had vanished completely.

"What's going on?!" asked Sonic, looking up to the sky.

"I'm afraid Nanael has started a Queen's Blade duel. Sister against sister, newcomer against veteran. This won't end well" replied Tomoe, her voice heavy with worry. Beside her, Blaze growled with fury as she looked up at Nanael who was hovering above the combatants with sheer glee.

"At last it's finally here! If I'm not lucky enough to come across a Queen's Blade duel, then I'll just have to set one up! Oh, I'm so much smarter than the average angel! Let's do this!" she proudly proclaimed to herself. Upon hearing her words, Tails shook his head. He was ashamed to have traveled with her.

Claudette thought to herself, reflecting on what just happened. "I've made a mistake. I didn't know this angel was part of the Queen's Blade tournament. What have I gotten myself into?"

"Looks like I don't have a choice once again. Typical...Well, let's begin" murmured Leina.

"I have a feeling I'll have to face Claudette in the future if she's in the tournament. I should watch her closely. Leina? Please just stay safe" Tomoe thought to herself.

Claudette lowered her sword ever so slightly, being more reluctant to fight. She spoke softly to her sister, hoping that she'd listen. "Leina? I'll ask one more time. Please, let's just go home. There is no need for this to be made public." Leina stood still for a moment, her frown becoming much more aggressive. With her teeth bared like a feral animal, Leina made a beeline for Claudette with a yell, her voice cracking slightly. She swung her sword at her sister like a 10 year old with a stick as Claudette effortlessly blocked her attacks, strike after strike after strike. The only power in Leina's attacks was her own anger, but nothing else helped her fight her sister. Watching from the side, Sonic shook his head with disdain. Her actions were simply embarrassing. Tomoe continued to watch in silence.

"She lacks any form of technique. Where is that strength from yesterday?" she thought. The two locked swords, but Claudette easily held off her sister. She simply didn't have the will to continue fighting on, and almost allowed Leina to push her back. Still angry, Leina stared her sister down wondering why she wasn't fighting back. Claudette knew she could easily defeat her, she was even out of breath already.

"This isn't right. If I beat her now, she'll be humiliated in front of everyone across Gynos. I can't do this. Not here" thought Claudette.

"C'mon Thundercloud General, show us a fight! Take the girl out!" screeched Nanael. With every word she spoke, the others got more and more hostile towards her. Below, someone snapped.

"Nanael! I swear to God, I will fight you myself if you don't shut up!" shouted Sonic of all people. Tails, Blaze and Tomoe all stared at his sudden aggression. Blaze secretly felt the same, but she wasn't particularly vocal about it unlike Sonic. His anger was strangely similar to Leina's. Nanael just ignored him, watching the two sisters with hope that one would beat the other.

"Leina, I'll find you again when there isn't an angel nearby to make this public. Until then, enjoy your debacle with these strange individuals" said Claudette, moving to put her sword back into its scabbard, forfeiting the match.

"No. Not this time, Claudette. You think I'm going to let you decide what's best for me again? You don't give a damn about who I am, how I feel, or what I want to be in life!" she yelled back at her. Claudette lowered her eyelids, growing very tired.

"She's determined I'll give her that" said Sonic. It was more like some kind of soap opera in front of him than a proper fight.

"Hm. She reminds me of someone" replied Blaze, looking at him from the corner of her eye. Sonic looked at her.

"Who?"

"Use your head, genius" she replied. Sonic thought about it before the penny dropped.

"Nah, she's not. Definitely not…" thought Sonic. He looked back to the two sisters, as Leina continued to verbally cut into Claudette.

"You don't know! You have no idea what father really feels!" Claudette lost her calm expression for the first time since she got there. Her words felt like a stab right in the chest. Leina thought back to her childhood, to where she was standing before her father as a young girl, all those years ago.

* * *

"_Claudette saved me, just like I knew she would"_

"_She did"_

"…_Father, why aren't you nice to her? I love Claudette with all my heart. You know what I did? I gave her a big, beautiful rose! The only one blooming! That was my thanks to her for saving my life, it's the most wonderful thing a person can do"_

"_Uh huh"_

* * *

Deep down, Leina knew even back then that her father respected and loved Claudette. At the same time, her father's words echoed in Claudette's mind as well, back to when she was sitting by the flower bed.

* * *

"_It's beautiful, and looks good on you too"_

* * *

Leina started to attack once more and while Claudette was lost in the past, she got a lucky slice at Claudette's metal bra right down the middle, exposing her. With a split-second reaction, Sonic covered Tails' eyes like a protective parent.

"Hey! What are you doing? What's happening?" asked Tails. Sonic blankly looked at the "fight".

"You're not old enough, put it like that" he replied, shaking his head. For once, his mind-set linked with Blaze's regarding their choice of armour. Leina continued to hack feebly at Claudette, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"What is going on in that head of yours that makes you look so disconnected from the rest of the world?! What burden do you carry?! Tell me! Why am I the successor, huh?! Why does he ignore everything around him?! Tell me Claudette! I demand to know!" she screamed. Among the constant hacks, Leina got another lucky slash at her, cutting off Claudette's skirt.

"Oh. My. _God_" muttered Blaze and Sonic painfully in unison, their teeth clenched shut. Tomoe shook her head in disdain.

"Why are you so insistent in protecting my honor?! Fight back already!" she cried out. Claudette frowned having grown tired of her sister's complete incompetence. Her sword cracked with electricity as her anger grew. As she brought her sword down, Leina was suddenly thrown backwards, with the sound of crackling lightning stabbing in the air. The onlookers all gasped as for once Claudette fought back.

"What happened?" asked Sonic. His eyes were fixed on Leina, who suddenly seemed scared for her life.

"We just got a glimpse of what Claudette can really do" replied Tomoe, panicking. Sonic spotted that subconsciously, Tomoe had her hand on her own sword.

"This is for the Vance name, not for you Leina" Claudette muttered without emotion. "I'll fight you and I won't hold back. Be ready" she growled. As Claudette moved into a proper fighting position, fear returned to Leina's heart. She had made a _massive_ mistake.

"Oh, this is gonna _suck_" whispered Sonic, wide eyed and fearful for Leina's well-being.

"You think I'm unaware of our father's love? You're wrong and you'd best remember that!" Claudette threw her sword like a boomerang straight at Leina, glowing with electricity. Struck with fear, Leina could only block the attack weakly with her shield. It was barely enough to keep her falling to the ground. Claudette's sword bounced off her shield and whipped through the air before flying back into her hands gracefully.

For the first time, Leina got to feel what a real strike against her felt like. In a word? Painful. Her arms were still shaking with shock, and her skin burned with the electricity. Claudette raised her sword into the air and yelled, "_Thunderclap Strike!"_

Lightning struck her sword on command, and she aimed directly at her opponent. Leina turned and ran for her life with her heart racing in terror. Only by the skin of her teeth did she manage to very narrowly dodge the thunder strike. A crater remained where it had struck with smoke billowing from it. Claudette leaped out of the smoke and swung her sword right at her with breakneck force. While Leina managed to block the attack, lightning shot out of her sword and charged at the enter of the clash. She could only hold it back for a mere second before the lightning reached its peak and violently exploded, throwing her across the ground like a human cannonball. Massive chunks of earth were thrown into the air as she grinded into the dirt, screaming in pain as her armour bent her limbs in random directions. Leina eventually slowed down, screeching to a halt right at the edge of the dome, just off the edge of a massive ravine, leaving a colossal cloud of dirt in her path. Leina sat on the ground, dazed and confused. Her armour remained perfectly intact, which was the only positive thing she could focus on.

Blood started to drip down her cheek, her head thumping with sheer pain. Looking up, Leina didn't even get a chance to scream as lighting cut across the sky and struck her directly where she sat. It was like being burned at a stake as raw power coursed through her body, burning every fiber of her being. Her metal armour only made it feel worse, burning her skin as her blood-curdling screams filled the air. She could smell her hair singeing and her heart racing as her torture continued. The lightning suddenly stopped and the bubble that surrounded them shattered like glass and blew away as if it was nothing. As the dust settled, Claudette watched as her sister barely managed to sit up, dirt and blood dabbed across her face. Despite her pain, Leina still stared her sister down defiantly.

Spectators around the world gasped as Leina came into view. Elina screamed at the sky, "Leina! Get up! Get up now!"

Walking through a hilly countryside, Risty watched with amusement. Her companion didn't find it as amusing, more straight up boring.

"Now that was a pathetic fight" Risty said with a devious smile. Knuckles yawned in response.

"Yeah well I've seen better fights where I'm from. For one, they don't last mere seconds" he said. The two watched on in silence, wondering what was going to happen next.

"I'm…not done yet. I'm not giving up now…" Leina muttered, her voice sounding completely unfitting to what she was saying. She sounded tired, like she was going to pass out. Nanael scratched her head, bored out of her mind.

"Yeah, this barely qualified as a fight. More of a total 'ass-whoopin' to be honest. Just concede defeat" she taunted. Leina felt her body start to give up on her, however the feeling of her skin burning began to disappear for reasons she couldn't explain.

"No. I can…still fight. I can…" Before she could finish, Leina fell forwards losing all feeling in her legs and her face colliding with the dirt again. All she could see was her left hand lying lifelessly in the dirt, burned and bloodied. Her arms started to feel warm and fuzzy all of a sudden, and Leina didn't know if she was starting to die. All she had to go on was the strange feeling, and that her hand was starting to burn a golden flame, much more furiously than before. Her charred skin slowly started to heal up again and the blood evaporated into nothing. Claudette started to advance towards her incapacitated sister, to take her away now that she wasn't able to fight back. Behind her came the sound of a pair of very fast moving feet. In the blink of an eye, Sonic stood in front of Claudette, ready to attack if he had to. Spectators all talked among themselves as the blue figure came into view. Elina gasped, not sure whether she should cheer or scream in anger. As far as she knew, Sonic was trying to help Leina. Knuckles just about fell over with shock.

"SONIC?! What the hell is he doing here?!" he screamed. Risty looked at him.

"I suppose you know him then?"

"Well, duh! When have you ever seen a hedgehog like him before?!" he shrieked hysterically. Risty rolled her eyes before turning back to what was happening on the spheres.

"Leave her alone. Now" he growled. Claudette stared him down. As far as she was concerned, she was staring at the primary reason Leina got away in the first place.

"Move aside, creature" she replied dismissively. Sonic refused to budge.

"Is this how you treat your family? Keeping her locked up and hunting her down when she escapes? I won't let you go anywhere near her" Claudette looked directly into his eyes. The same look of determination that was in Leina's eyes looked back. Without a hint of hesitation, Claudette cast lightning right at the hedgehog, too fast for him to properly react. Secretly, Sonic was hoping she would back down. He yelled in pain as the shock shot through his body like a bullet. His spikes sprung upwards as if he had transformed in his super form, but instead of turning bright gold, his fur burned a slightly darker blue.

"SONIC!" screamed Tails. In a blind fury, Blaze rushed right at Claudette and leapt into the air. With a swift kick, she hit Claudette across the head, knocking her to the ground and stopping the strike against Sonic. He collapsed to the ground lifelessly. Claudette winced as she felt the cut on her face, looking up at the cat that attacked her. Blaze's fists and eyes roared with fire as she stared her down. Claudette actually felt fear as she stared into her blazing eyes. Above her, Nanael started to scream.

"NononoNONONO! This is intervention! The fight is no longer valid! What are you doing?!" she screeched. Blaze's head snapped up at her, her eyes like daggers. Nanael instantly stopped moaning and remained quiet out of fear. The pits of hell itself glared at her like death. Around the world, the spheres stopped showing the fight immediately, with groans of disappointment coming from most spectators. Elina stood at Leina's balcony, terrified and curious at the result of the fight, wondering who the strange purple creature that attacked her sister was. Knuckles remained shocked, upon seeing Blaze as well. Risty said nothing, thinking about all the strange creatures that were suddenly turning up. Claudette didn't fight back against her, not knowing what Blaze was actually capable of. They remained quiet for a while, calming themselves down. The silence of the situation was suddenly broken by the rumble of the ground. Regaining her strength, Claudette looked up to see massive cracks forming in the ground where Leina lay as it fell backwards. Leina didn't scream as the ground below fell away, her hands still glowing as she fell.

"Leina!" screamed Claudette rushing over as fast as she could to the cliff edge. She leapt forward, reaching her hand out to grab Leina's still burning hand, but it was too late. With a painful thud, Claudette fell to the ground and watched as her sister fell into the ravine below, her eyes closed.

"No…" she said, tears forming in her eyes. A part of Claudette died inside as she stared at the dark abyss below. Everyone stared at her in horror, including Sonic who managed to regain his strength. Tails and Tomoe slowly moved towards them in shock.

"Is she dead?" asked Tails. It was the question nobody wanted to answer at all. Everyone remained completely silent. Even Nanael refused to speak up.

"…No"

Sonic got up with a grunt and walked over to the cliff edge listening very carefully. The only sound she could hear were the sounds of leaves blowing in the wind and rushing water. It was the latter in particular that was most important. There wasn't water in sight, so where was the sound coming from?

"She's still alive. I just have this strange feeling that she is. I can't explain it, but I just know. Besides, it sounds like there is water down there, deep rushing water. She could have landed in that" he said softly, trying to reassure Claudette beside him.

"A long time ago, I saved Leina from falling. She was just a child, trying to do her own thing, just like she was now. I wasn't fast enough this time around" she muttered to herself. Sonic lowered his head.

"I'm sorry. I truly am" he said. Claudette didn't even look at him, continuing to stare at the black gap below. Sensing that his presence wasn't desired, Sonic got up and turned to the others. "I can't say for definite, but if we're lucky, Leina survived"

"Where does the river lead?" asked Blaze, her anger subsided for the time being. Tails flew up into the air, high above the trees and looked into the distance. Indeed there was a river flowing from the ravine, a very rough looking one. Beyond it lay a colossal desert with strange objects decorating the otherwise derelict landscape.

"What is up with this world's geometry? It leads to a desert of all places!" he shouted back, landing on the ground. Sonic brushed some dirt off his arms, looking off into the distance.

"Then that's where I'm going then" he announced. He felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

"No. I'm going after her" replied Blaze. "If I didn't attack Claudette, then maybe she would have saved her"

"But she would have killed me" he replied bluntly.

"I had no intention of killing you, hedgehog. I was about to stop anyway" replied Claudette, showing no definite emotion.

"Regardless, I'll go after her. You make sure Tomoe reaches Gynos safely, Sonic" she continued. Maybe it was the shock in his brain, or maybe he just wasn't up for arguing. Sonic nodded in agreement.

"If you insist, Blaze"

"Right, then Tails and I will follow the river to wherever it may lead"

"I don't know if I can carry you all the way though, Blaze"

"Oh that's fine Tails…" Blaze turned towards Nanael, who was examining her finger nails, paying zero attention to everything around her, "Nanael will help you out." She immediately looked up, hearing her name.

"Sorry, what? I wasn't listening" she replied with a bored tone. Blaze narrowed her eyes at her.

"You will take me down that river along with Tails to hopefully find Leina. I assume angels are supposed to help people after all"

"What? No way am I helping you! Why should I? You're just a mere mortal after all!" Nanael squawked, crossing her arms. Blaze was already angry, and now she was being pushed to her very limit. How could one single person, an angel no less, be so selfish? Blaze stepped forward, in an attempt to convince her otherwise.

"Someone might have died because of-"

"Hey! I'm talking, feline!" she screamed. Blaze couldn't hold back her rage any longer. With fire bursting from her eyes, she grabbed the angel roughly by her collar and pulled her towards her. Blaze didn't bother to hide her fangs from her as she snarled with a violent fury. Nanael whimpered, feeling the heat of her wrath on her skin. She looked into her aggressor's eyes and pure unfiltered anger looked back.

"_And. I'm. Not. __**Listening**__." _she hissed. Blaze had no intention of hurting her, but only she knew of the rising temptation she had. To Nanael, the fact she never raised her voice made it all the worse. "You were the one who caused all of this for your own selfish needs, just so you could start a Queen's Blade fight. Even if Leina is alive, you have humiliated her, and caused her sister unspeakable amounts of grief. Do you know what it's like to possibly lose a sibling? Put yourself in Claudette's shoes. So I'm demanding that you, Nanael, fix what you have done. Otherwise we'll get to test just how immortal you angels are…" she threatened. The hand grasping Nanael's collar was burning intensely as she spoke, representing her anger blazing from within. The heat wasn't enough to hurt her, but it was close. Nanael's smug expression was gone, leaving a look of terror in its place. Scared, Nanael nodded quickly, desperate for the cat to let her go and accepting her 'demands'. The flames extinguished, but Blaze's anger remained. "Good" she hissed. Nanael quickly darted towards Tails and hid behind him, shaking. Sonic had never seen Blaze so angry before. To be fair, he was ready to tell Nanael off himself, but he wasn't going to be _that assertive._ Blaze turned towards Tomoe and Sonic, still clearly mad. "Good luck you two" she muttered.

"I hope we'll meet again soon, Blaze" said Tomoe, bowing.

"You can count on it" she replied.

"Oh! Hang on a second!" yelped Tails, reaching inside his backpack. After a few seconds of rummaging, he pulled out two small capsules and tossed them towards Sonic. He caught them with ease and examined them. One had the symbol of a small orange rocket with a blue dot in the middle, while the other was of a cyan lightning bolt.

"Tails, are these wisp capsules?" asked Sonic.

"Sort of. I've been experimenting with the energy of the wisps ever since we got back from the Hex World, with their consent of course. Press on the capsule, and you'll use the wisp power. It's a one-time use though, so use them wisely" he replied. Sonic gave Tomoe one of the capsules. He preferred using the Cyan Laser anyway.

"How many have you got?"

"Only a couple. I have few more back at my lab. All I have left is Yellow Drill and Purple Frenzy" he said. To everyone else except Sonic, Tails was talking total nonsense

"...What are Wisps?" asked Tomoe, examining the Orange Rocket capsule.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you on the way to Gynos" replied Sonic. Tomoe pocketed the capsule for future use.

"Right, well off we go then" announced Blaze. Tails grabbed one of her hands, and Nanael begrudgingly grabbed the other two. With little effort, they lifted Blaze off of the ground.

"Good luck. If you find her, tell her I'm sorry. Please" muttered Claudette, still gazing at the river below.

"I'll try" replied Blaze, and with that, they took off, leaving Tomoe and Sonic to venture off alone, a total reversal of how they began.

And then there were two. Tomoe looked down to find a piece of fabric from Leina's armour, the part that covers her front. The piece was slightly charred, but the red colour remained. She gripped it tightly.

"Please live"

* * *

"Ohohoho! You're a delicious one aren't you?" Setra gazed perversely over Leina's unconscious form, her body soaking wet from the water. Leina was held in mid air by the water itself, holding her up the arms and legs. Her skin was no longer bruised, burned or bloodied but rather completely normal. "Fit, healthy and hot as hell? Oh, you'll do perfect for m'lady. Aaaand you'll be great eye candy!" he concluded with a snort. He smiled happily to himself as Leina opened her mouth, allowing more energy to fly out into the open air, much thicker and brighter than before…


	7. Chapter 7: The Amaran Princess

**(A/N: Thanks for the continued support guys, even those who merely take a gander, I thank you all!)**

Distinct, sharp hissing accompanied the sound of rushing water at the bottom of the ravine. Keltan slithered slowly across the dirt very carefully, hunting out a scent; the scent of the Wandering Warrior. His master knelt on the ground, clutching a leather belt burned from the wearer. Echidna stared at the belt, wondering how Leina even survived being electrocuted so brutally. Little did she and the others know that Echidna had been watching the fight from a higher perspective the entire time, happily entertained by the performance and yet slightly disappointed that Leina didn't fight back as strongly as she did against Echidna two days earlier.

Maybe it was just pure adrenaline. Being poisoned to near death will do that to a person.

Eventually Keltan returned to Echidna, having given up. He slithered up Echidna's thigh and returned to his usual "thong" position.

"So you can't trace her scent any further than this then? It's a shame. Then again, she's probably still alive. If she can survive being poisoned without an antidote and being struck by lightning, then I doubt falling into water from a high drop into a river will kill her," she thought aloud. In her hand, Echidna grasped a large white emerald which glowed gently. "It's a pity they made off so fast. Maybe Sonic would have wanted this. Oh well, I guess until I see him next, whenever that may be, it's mine" she said, gazing into her own reflection. It was hard to deny, the Chaos Emeralds were beautiful looking gems.

* * *

The terrain of Gynos was unpredictable. A mixture of tundra, forests, and snowy regions dotted the continent but among them stood one long region of land, unique to the rest. One large golden desert stood alone on the map as a near barren wasteland. Among the sand dunes stood massive stone ruins. Great pillars, broken by the forces of time - the ancient remains of a long forgotten civilization. Among the ruins stood a great wall, engraved with the repeated image of a large smiling cat-like creature and ancient symbols painted on the sides. The colossal structure contained one entrance at the center. What exactly was beyond that entrance was a mystery to everyone.

"Awaken now from your long slumber, and be revived in new flesh, then you will be my faithful servant…If you stop resisting that is" Inside a massive stone chamber, on top of a raised platform inside a crypt lay Leina, unconscious but alive. Her armour had been from her body, and replaced with much more transparent clothing suited for a slave. Her skin was smooth and unaltered, having completely healed from her fight with Claudette. At her feet stood a woman, draped in blue and gold with cloth wrapped around her arms. Despite her self-proclaimed status, Menace wasn't dressed like an average princess. Around her neck, Menace wore a large gold broach stretching down and barely covering her breasts. In her defense, it was enough to keep her cool in a heat of the region. Her headpiece sat proudly on her head and in her hand was a scepter with the distinctive image of a cat's head at the drop with massive white, smiling teeth. Menace smiled deviously as from all around her, dark ghostly figures rose up and swirled around them, wailing loudly. After circling them a few times, they made a beeline straight for the sleeping Leina. One ghost entered her body straight into her heart with another one in tow, much to Menace's delight. Her smile faded once one of the ghosts came roaring from her body screaming before evaporating into thin air in a golden flash.

"I hate it when they are difficult to enslave. But this one is trickier than any I've ever seen before" groaned Menace. Her scepter flew out of her hands and hovered over Leina's body, gazing at her features.

"So what do think, my lady? Hot stuff, isn't she?" said Setra. Clearly he had different reasons for choosing Leina. "I found her down the riverbank, unconscious but alive and let me tell you, she was literally bursting with life. Mm! So perfect!" he chuckled perversely. Menace shook her head.

"While she's the ideal choice for a servant, you might have picked someone who wasn't going to be so problematic" she muttered. "Nonetheless, good work, Setra"

"Still choosing by body and not ability? Nothing ever changes with you" spoke a voice. A large pink puddle slithered up the pathway leading to the stairs up the platform. The slime formed together, molding into the shape of woman, large bunny ears protruding from her head.

"Hello there, Menace" she greeted, walking up the stairs.

"Ah, Melona. It's good to see you again" she replied with a gentle smile.

"What the hell do you want from us this time?" said Setra. Melona rolled her eyes.

"Save it, you pervert-wait a second…" Melona approached the crypt where Leina lay and gasped. "I know her! She was there when I was blown to shreds. Maybe now I can finish what I started!" she said angrily. Melona reached for her, but was stopped by an invisble shield protecting her. The shield burned to her touch.

"Yeah I wouldn't touch her if I were you. We're currently trying to enslave her, but she's giving us a hard time right now" explained Menace. Melona pouted.

"You're lucky it wasn't that stupid blue hedgehog. I would have straight-up ignored you if it was" she replied. Melona dissolved into a new form, turning blue and growing spikes. In an instant she became the spitting image of Sonic, albeit with a pink hue and cross shaped pupils.

"You were defeated by that?" asked Setra with a flat tone. Melona's voice came from Sonic's mouth.

"Believe me, he's a cocky little bastard. I won't let him beat me again" Melona reformed back into her normal shape, looking at Leina. "What do you mean, she's difficult? When I fought her, I almost killed her…then again, it looks like her stab wound has healed up nicely" she noted Leina's stomach had zero scarring on it, despite having a piece of metal sticking out of it the last time they met.

"She seems to be able to fight back against being possessed. Hang on, maybe if I overwhelm her, it'll work" said Menace. On her word, hundreds of ghostly figures whirled up to the platform like a dense black cloud. They watched in wonder as they dived straight into Leina's chest, allowing themselves to be absorbed. It didn't take long for each one to enter her. The three stood in silence as the last ghost made its way into her body. Leina didn't even twitch during the process. Setra hovered over her head, his 'eyes' level with hers.

"Huh. It looks like it finally worked" he muttered. Suddenly, Leina's eyes snapped open with a bright golden light casting from them. Setra yelped and moved away to a safe distance. Leina jerked up and clutched her head, her eyes still burning an intense golden flame. Menace and Melona backed away with caution.

"What in the world is happening now?!" demanded Menace. Leina clenched her teeth before suddenly screaming.

"Hey I'll play with you some other time-ARGH!" she cried out. Menace started to panic.

"Setra!" she screamed, demanding answers.

"Something inside her is rejecting the enslavement!" he shouted back, suddenly sincere. Leina continued grunting in pain.

"Say something, you fake hedgehog!" Menace shot Melona a confused look.

"Hedgehog? Is she referring to the one that beat you?" she asked. Melona shook her head, never taking her eyes off the insanity before her. Leina jerked her head upwards, the energy in her eyes growing more intense with every second.

"I have news for ya! I'm not like most people!" she cried out in agony. Leina's mad ravings shook Melona to her core.

"Hang on a second, I remember those words!" she shouted. With one final ear-piercing scream, Leina collapsed into her crypt like a corpse. The 3 watched closely, waiting for her to spring back up again, but the moment never came.

"…Setra?" asked Menace, slightly scared of what was next. Setra examined Leina closely, flinching thinking she was going to lose it again.

"…It…worked. The process seemed to have worked, she's being taken over right now!" he said excitedly. Melona and Menace both approached her with care.

"So what was that all about then? That's never happened before…Melona? Is something wrong?" asked Menace. Melona stared at Leina with blank eyes.

"That last thing she said, before she passed out again…the hedgehog said those exact words to me when we fought" she declared.

"So what, she's got the soul of a hedgehog inside her?" asked Menace. Setra shook his head.

"Nonsense. Something else caused her to resist, she hasn't got two minds in her head" he replied. Melona turned towards the stairs, dissolving into a puddle.

"W-Well, you two have fun then. I'm going to find places where insanity isn't spilling out of the walls. Oh, by the way Menace" she said, stopping near the bottom of the stairs, "Don't forget what the Swamp Witch ordered us to do. You were brought back for a reason" she hissed.

"I'll get there at some point" replied Menace. Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Melona slithered away and out of sight. Menace watched as she disappeared, contemplating her true goals. Setra suddenly knocked his head softly against Menace's back.

"M'lady! The time has finally come!" he announced with glee. Menace turned towards Leina's body.

"At last! Hopefully you won't give me any more grief! Greetings my new servant, it's time to awaken" she said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Leina slowly opened her eyes, revealing them to be blank and soulless. Her blue irises had darkened and her pupils were replaced with a red circle. Menace was successful and Leina was powerless to resist her every order from then on. Turning her attention away from her momentarily, Menace picked up the two gems sitting by Leina's side. "Remind me to enslave some diamond cutters at some point, Setra. These gems would make beautiful jewellery. Where did you find them again?"

"A small crater in the desert m'lady"

"A strange find, but still excellent" she said. The green rectangular gem glowed slightly to her touch. Alarmingly, the yellow diamond gem sparkled furiously as she stood by Leina. She ignored the abnormal glowing and made her way downstairs. She had plans for her new servant…

* * *

"…So basically, when they enter your body, you transform into what their power is. For example, that Orange Rocket capsule will turn you into a rocket, and allow you to blast off into the sky! It's pretty cool!" explained Sonic. He and Tomoe had been walking for around half an hour, mostly in silence over what had happened to cause them to be together in the first place. In a bid to keep the awkward levels down, Sonic had taken to explaining the Wisps that Tails had mentioned prior. For the most part, Tomoe seemed to understand it all.

"So how do they enter your body? It sounds unpleasant" she asked, shuddering at the thought of having to swallow a creature to gain its power.

"Nah, it just sort of disappears into your chest. When you've used it, it flies out again" he replied. He took out the Cyan Laser capsule that Tails gave him. The little trigger on it tempted him into showing Tomoe what the power could do, but resisted due to its one time use. Sonic looked up to the sky and flinched at the sight of the massive spheres hovering in the sky. He was surprised he never noticed them before in the 3 days he was there. They seemed to resemble glass.

"What is that?" he asked.

"Those are the monitors that the angels use to broadcast Queen's Blade duels. They're scattered across the continent so nobody misses a thing" she explained. Her expression turned sour. "I'm afraid that Leina's fight with Claudette was all over these screens, so people will have seen it wherever they went" she finished. Sonic shook his head.

"That angel…I'm gonna give her a piece of my mind the next time I see her" he muttered with frustration.

"Form a line" replied Tomoe. Forcing the world to witness someone's humiliating defeat was not a move she was happy with. Eventually, Tomoe asked the question she didn't want an answer to. "Do you honestly think she's alive?" Sonic looked at her with hopeful eyes.

"No doubt. She's a tough one, she'll make it somehow" he replied.

"I hope you are correct. I would be simply tragic to have someone die doing what they wanted to do. People who want to fight are often unaware of the danger they will face, even when they think they are. Then again, she's brave. I doubt she'll let anything stop her as a result. Sometimes that determination is the most valuable thing a warrior can have. That pure desire to push forward and never give up, it warms the heart" she said, gazing at the clouds in the sky and placing an hand on her chest. Sonic didn't have anything quite on her level of thinking to say in return.

"…You sound an awful lot like Blaze, you know that?" he replied with a deadpan tone. Tomoe still smiled.

"What, does she say similar things?" she questioned.

"Not really, but you both seem to look at things the same sort of way. I typically just see an adventure wherever I go"

"Funny, you could say that's what Leina sees as well" she replied with a smirk. Sonic felt uncomfortable again and Tomoe could see that. "You don't seem to like being compared to Leina. What's the problem?"

"It's the whole connection thing. I just don't see what makes me and Leina so similar. Ok sure, we both have a love for something new, but so do a lot of people. Besides we look far too different. I can't get over the fact that I share a connection with a human woman who dresses exclusively in metal" he ranted.

"Perhaps it's more spiritual than physical or mental. We may never even know, but like it or not Sonic, you share something with her. Just like how I share something with Blaze, even then I'm not sure what that is. Maybe you two are destined to be inseparable allies" she replied.

"I doubt that, given the circumstances. Maybe we're just looking into it too much. Hopefully the answers will come naturally" he finished. The two continued walking in silence, admiring the landscape. They were coming close to a particularly rocky region, decorated with hills and steep mountains.

"Hey Sonic, mind if I ask you a question?" she asked suddenly.

"Fire away"

"What's your history with Blaze? While we were on our way here, she briefly mentioned her past. I'd like to know a little more if that's ok with you" Sonic cast his mind back to years ago when he met her for the first time.

"When I met Blaze, she wasn't the most pleasant characters ever. She always insisted on doing things her own way, never letting anyone intervene. She was so desperate to act alone that she even fought me over who fought Eggman. It was crazy" he reminisced, thinking about that very encounter and her random confession about who she was.

* * *

"_What do you know? I am the guardian of the Sol Emeralds... It is a fate that forces me to live with my curse, my flames... Because of my powers, I have always been alone... It's also why I must do this alone! It is my responsibility!"_

_"I admire you fortitude, but... Carrying the entire world on your shoulders?"_

"_ENOUGH!"_

* * *

"However, we eventually got to know each other and defeated Eggman together. We met up again to fight this robot pirate, and boy was that a fun experience! We parted ways again after that. Ever since we've met times in different circumstances, but this is the first time we've had an adventure together since then" he finished. Tomoe listened to the whole thing attentively, even if some of it was questionable.

"At least she's improved since then. Mostly" she replied, thinking back to her seething rage with Nanael.

"Yeah, she's ok once you get to know her, if she'll let you that is. What are your thoughts on Leina by the way? You two seemed to be getting on pretty well" he asked. Tomoe wasn't sure how to answer at first.

"She's perfectly nice if that's what you mean. Kind at heart, brave and willing to fight. She could make a great warrior. I do find her armour quite alluring" she admitted. Inside, Tomoe was screaming about what she just said. Sonic didn't pay attention to the last part.

"Yeah, she is pretty cool…wait a second, what did you say?" he perked up, turning to her with a smile.

"About what?"

"About her armour" he pressed. Tomoe felt embarrassment start to well up.

"I never said anything about her armour" she lied. Sonic's smile grew wider.

"Don't lie Tomoe, I heard what you said!"

"You're hearing things, Sonic"

"Uh huh, sure thing Lady Tomoe" he said with a chuckle, and with that the two pressed on.

* * *

"What has my life become? I mean, a few days ago I was relaxing in heaven, then the universes collided, then I met Tails, then I got involved with you guys, then I get roped into carrying you across the continent. It wouldn't be nearly as bad if I could have something to drink, but as it turns out, the lake going up the desert was a FREAKING MIRAGE! IT'S TOO HOT!" screamed Nanael. The combined strength of herself and Tails to carry Blaze with relative ease across the world. However, Tails had grown tired, not just out of carrying Blaze, but of Nanael's constant complaining. They had been walking in the intense heat for the past half hour.

"Quit whining. The heat isn't that bad" replied Blaze.

"To be fair, Blaze. You're used to the heat" panted Tails. He was barely keeping up with them, dragging his feet in the sand. Blaze turned to him, noticing the strain in his voice.

"Tails are you ok?" she asked. Tails didn't have to answer her, his expression said everything. Without a second thought, Blaze took out her Sol Emerald and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do me a favor Tails, imagine the location of your lab for me" she asked. Tails closed his eyes and thought about it. The emerald started to glow intensely. "Sol Control" whispered Blaze. In a flash of light, she and Tails disappeared, leaving behind nothing but their footsteps. Nanael reacted with despair.

"Hey! Where did you two go?! Don't leave me here!" she shrieked. It was just her and the desert wind. "Come back you freaks!" she shouted to the sky. In a flash, Blaze reappeared, though Tails was strangely absent. Blaze turned back to her, pocketing the emerald. "W-Where did you go? Where's Tails?!" she asked.

"I took him back to his lab, he was obviously too weak to go on" she replied. Nanael frowned like an impatient child.

"How come he gets out of this?!" she whined. Blaze glared at her, tired.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't remember Tails ever accidentally causing someone to fall to their possible death, and humiliating them" she replied flatly. "On the plus side, Tails gave us those last two wisp capsules" she added. She showed Nanael the two of them, one with a yellow drill-like symbol and another with a sharp-toothed purple mouth. "Now come on Nanael. Maybe Leina is-…Are those pyramids?" she asked, pointing to the structures far in the distance.

"Well if you're so desperate to find Leina, maybe she's in there" replied Nanael, sarcastically. Blaze nodded and continued forward.

"Maybe, come on" she added, walking off towards them. Nanael reacted with horror.

"I was being sarcastic!" she shouted.

"Like I care!"

"You drive me crazy!" she shrieked, waving her arms around in frustration. Blaze ignored her and continued onward, as a massive wall rose into view.

* * *

"Now my devoted servant, I order you in the name of Menace – Princess of Amara…" she groaned, lying down where Leina once was. Leina, completely under Menace's control was tending to her mistress, massaging her thigh without emotion. Most rulers would have other tasks on their mind, but for Menace a life of luxury was number one of her list of desires. What better place to start then with a massage?

"Ah, a little lower please" ordered Menace, a smile on her face.

"Yes mistress" replied Leina, her voice devoid of thought. Menace's smile grew a little wider as she continued.

"Perfect. You really are a valuable servant" she moaned happily. Setra approached his mistress, still smiling.

"I don't mean to interfere milady, but aren't you forgetting what Melona said earlier?" he asked. Menace didn't bother to look at him, lost in her pleasure.

"Setra, I haven't had a massage in over 1000 years. Do you know what 1000 years does to someone's muscles? I need this" she replied dismissively. If Setra could roll his eyes, he would.

"Lady has a point. Oh well, I tried!" he said to himself, giving up. He looked up towards the waterfall spilling down the walls. It acted as a one-way mirror, allowing them all to see what was coming. "Hm? What's this now?" he said, alerting his mistress.

"What is it now?" she asked, clearly annoyed.

"We've got company on the way" informed Setra. Leina and Menace looked up to the image of a cat and an angel in the water, walking towards the pyramids. Menace stared in wonder at them.

"Hm, they seem like strange individuals. An angel and…I'm not sure what the other one is" she said, staring at the purple figure. Setra examined them closely.

"Hmm…well the one with wings seems like she might be a bit of a brat, nonetheless she does seem pretty cute! That top and skirt don't leave much to the imagination! Hehe!" he laughed perversely. "On the other hand…hot mama!" he shrieked. "Look at her! Slender, fit and a very lovely looking tail! Pity she lacks a real chest, she's a little flat for my liking, but she makes up for that a little in the hips! She's perfect, smokin' even!" he cried, ogling her.

"So, what do you think?" asked Menace.

"The cat, definitely! She's almost perfect for me!" he replied, his smile growing wider. Menace lowered her eye-lids.

"…That's not what I meant. Do you think they'll make good servants?" she asked again. Setra chuckled nervously.

"Oh right! Yeah, I knew that" he lied. Menace turned to Leina, who watched soullessly.

"Servant, do you have anything to add?" she asked. Leina's face turned into a look of contempt as she stared at them, brief flashes of the past she had forgotten zipped through her brain. Leina's hands and head began to glow a fiery gold. Panicking, Menace cast a hand onto her.

"No! You will not lose control!" she ordered. The image of Nanael and Blaze disappeared and the golden glowing ceased. Leina returned to her emotionless expression.

"That one is trouble" added Setra.

"I've increased my power over her. It'll take more than that to lose her. Maybe it might be worthwhile to test out these new additions to the kingdom of Amara…servant, go grab your armour. I have an idea" she said, motioning to Leina.

* * *

Blaze looked up to the massive stone pillars, examining the ancient markings. Curiously, they seemed very similar to ancient writings she found on old ruins on her own world, but not similar enough. Nanael flew around like a child dragged along on a school outing, wanting to go back to heaven. Blaze finally approached the colossal wall that stood at least 20 feet taller than her, looking closely at the cat-like structures embedded in it. Nanael fell to her knees, exhausted.

"I hope to God there is some water in there" she begged.

"For once, I agree. I could use a drink"

"Even a little rain would be great!" she added.

"Nanael, I highly doubt it'll rain naturally" she replied, turning to her. Nanael instantly perked up as massive black clouds came over the wall, shadowing them from the sun's rays. In an instant, Nanael cooled down.

"You were saying?"

"I'm standing by my point. Those aren't rain clouds…" muttered Blaze, gazing the swirling black mass. The wind picked up, blowing sand in their faces. Nanael and Blaze both make a break for the entrance in order to take shelter. "Something doesn't want us here" said Blaze, running for the entrance.

"Yeah, and she's standing right there!" yelled Nanael, pointing to the top of the wall. A female figure stood engulfed by a poisonous black aura. Blaze squinted her eyes to get a better look, before turning wide-eyed with shock.

"That's Leina! She's alive! Hey, down here!" she cried, waving. Blaze's excitement started to fade when Leina didn't react at all to her. She stared down at the two, blankly.

"Kneel before the power of Amara if you wish to live…" she hissed, her words echoing in the air, drawing her sword. Blaze frowned with anger.

"Hang on, there is something not right with her!" she yelled. Leina leapt from the wall, her sword pointed downwards at her. Blaze leapt out of the way as Leina came crashing down, embedding her sword in the sand. As Blaze regained her footing, she felt a strike to the head as Leina kicked her into the doorway, ready to strike again. However, Blaze leapt out of the way of the blade, flipping through the air and onto her feet. Nanael smiled as she followed them into the structure, sensing an opportunity.

Blaze barely got a chance to admire the colossal stone hallways and rooms she and Leina fought through. She made sure to never attack her, seeing that she wasn't herself. Leina seemed to fighting more efficiently than before, which was downright unfair in Blaze's opinion. Leina snarled at her, "Kneel before the power of Amara if you wish to live!", swinging her sword again. Blaze ducked and instead of running again, she built balls of fire and threw them at her, screaming with every throw.

"I. Am. Not. Your. Enemy!" she screamed. Leina flawlessly dodged the blasts, but otherwise stopped dead, staring at her. Blaze looked into her possessed eyes as they started to glow a golden light. Leina closed her eyes and clutched her head in agony, gritting her teeth.

"I admire your fortitude, but... carrying the entire world on your shoulders?!" she shrieked randomly. Blaze stood still, frozen in shock.

"Wait, those are Sonic's words!" she yelled. How could Leina know what Sonic had said? What was causing it? They glowing ceased, and Leina made a successful strike against Blaze once she gained control again, knocking her through the stone wall with a crash. Blaze lay among the rubble, grunting as she held her arm. Suddenly realising what was coming, Blaze leapt out of the rubble, narrowly dodging Leina's continued assault. They stared each other down, both ready to strike if they had to. Suddenly, Nanael flew between them with a smile on her face. Blaze could sense what she was going to do, and if she could think for herself, Leina probably could as well.

"Well lookie here! Is this a fight? I think it iiiisssss~!" she sang merrily, raising her hand into the air. Blaze growled furiously.

"Nanael, don't you dare!" she shouted, but it was too late.

"Leina – The Wandering Warrior versus Blaze – The Guardian of the Sol Emeralds! Let's begin the contest and open the gates of battle!" she announced happily. The same purple dome from before engulfed the three and the entire pyramid. Once more, Nanael felt proud of herself and this time she didn't even need to coax them into fighting! Her triumph was cut short by a hot hand grabbing her arm. Nanael turned to Blaze, who to her horror was displaying her fangs.

"Oh no! I am not letting you do this again!" she shouted. Blaze darted down the hallway, dragging Nanael along with her, kicking and screaming. Leina instantly gave chase.

"Heh, I was right to think you lived, Little Leina" muttered Echidna, watching her run after Blaze and Nanael. Keltan hissed at the sight, watching just as closely as his mistress. With a smile, Echidna petted him lovingly. In her other hand, she held the white Chaos Emerald. "Perhaps when we meet again, I'll give you this as a reward…"

Riding on horse-back, Claudette watched the sphere, mouth agape in shock. She was alive! But why was she running after Blaze? Maybe she blamed her for making her fall. It didn't matter; Leina was alive, though she didn't seem well…

"She's alive!" shouted Tomoe, standing on top of a hill. Her smile quickly faded however, once she noticed Leina was acting irregular. "Something has control over her, she's not herself" she added. Sonic watched with frustration, knowing what Nanael had done.

"And that angel has set up a fight between her and Blaze! Argh, I'm gonna have a bone to pick with her when I see her!" he snarled, picking up the pace. Tomoe ran after him, still staring at the spheres.

* * *

Blaze and Nanael raced through the corridors, outrunning both Leina and the massive slabs of stone suddenly falling from above and leaving a trail of fire in their wake. Someone or something wanted them dead.

"Ok, that one was uncalled for, I'll admit! What is up with her anyway?!" shouted Nanael. Blaze kept her eyes on what was ahead at all times, never slowing down.

"How the hell should I know? Maybe I could have found out what was wrong and why she was quoting Sonic if you didn't start another fight!" she replied, angrily. "Whatever it is, it's in these ruins, and it's my job to find out!" Nanael suddenly yelped and slowed down as they approached some stairs. To Blaze's surprise, a massive boulder came tumbling down before them. It was going to take more than her powers to slow it down. Thinking on her feet, Blaze yanked Nanael to the side to take cover in a small nook in the wall. Nanael whimpered as the balls rolled past her violently, squished against her. "How cliché…" muttered Blaze. Nanael looked at Blaze with thankful eyes.

"I owe you one!" she yelped with a smile.

"Damn right you do!" she replied. Slowly, looking from side to side they left the gap and continued towards a doorway. On one step, Blaze's foot sunk downwards as she stepped on a trigger. Spikes shot up in front of them in rows, getting rapidly closer. "…Oh fu-Ah!" she screamed. She suddenly found herself lifted into the air and held to the roof by Nanael. Blaze stared right at a spike inches from her eye. Nanael whimpered in fear, despite being the heroic one.

"That was too close…" whimpered Nanael. Blaze didn't dare budge.

"…Ok, you no longer owe me one…" she muttered. The spikes shot back down, but Blaze remained in the air, carried by Nanael. It was surprising for her to actually save someone's life. She had to have earned those wings in some way. Together, they flew through the corridors.

They entered a massive empty room, the roof towering very high above them. There was something strange about the room, it was far too bare. "Ok, now what do we do?!" asked Nanael. Before anything else could be said, the doorway was suddenly blocked off by falling stones, too thick to simply budge. Blaze groaned in protest.

"What now?!" High above them, water started to pour of large vents for all directions, quickly filling the room. It didn't take long for the water to come up to Blaze's ankles.

"Now we're screwed!" yelled Nanael. Blaze looked up to the vents. She couldn't jump high enough if she tried, but she knew someone who could. Unfortunately, the vents were far too narrow for two people to fit through. She knew she'd have to stay behind. Blaze sighed and looked at Nanael.

"Nanael, get out of here. You can save yourself" she ordered. Nanael would usually take the opportunity to run, but she didn't want to leave her behind.

"What about you?!"

"I'll be fine, trust me on this" she replied.

"A-Are you sure?"

"Yes! Now go!" she roared. Reluctantly, Nanael flew up and out of the vents, water splashing lightly against her clothes. The water had reached Blaze's hips already and it wouldn't take long till it covered her head. Unknown to her, Menace was watching the events unfold, amused. Setra was secretly hoping she'd make it out alive; he wanted to meet her personally.

"The feline is certainly a lively one. A little serious as well. She'd be perfect" said Menace. "Setra, stop the water"

"With pleasure!"

"I wish to speak with this one" she said. Menace raised her arms in the air as orbs of light formed in her hands. "I'm impressed by your determination, unknown one" she said. Blaze perked up, looking around for the source of the voice. It sounded like it was coming from all around her. In the waterfall, Blaze faced Menace and Setra directly.

"Who's there?!" she demanded.

"Your new mistress, feline" Menace replied with a smile. Setra flew closer to her.

"Tell her I said hi!" he asked excitedly. Menace ignored the request. On the water, Blaze glared right at them without even knowing it.

"Mistress? What are you talking about?"

"You are speaking to the ruler of this land. If you concede to become my faithful servant, then you shall live" she offered. Blaze thought about it for a moment.

"So, is that what's happened to Leina? Interesting, but I happily decline your offer. I'm not your damn slave, and I never will be!" she yelled. Menace's expression turned furious.

"Need I remind you of where you stand? You will die otherwise!" she yelled. Blaze stood her ground.

"Try me" she replied defiantly. Menace motioned to Setra to resume the water flow, which he did with hesitation. The water started to flow once more, and Blaze was left alone in the watery trap…

* * *

Nanael had made it out of the ruins and stared at the spheres. She had left the transmission going, and now the world could see Blaze die. Even worse was that Sonic, Tails and Tomoe could probably see for themselves what had happened.

"They wouldn't believe me if I said she asked to be left behind! I can't just leave her!" she groaned with worry. Clenching her fists, Nanael decided what she had to do. "That does it! I'm getting her out of here! End transmission now!" she yelled, and the image of Blaze disappeared. Little did she know Sonic and Tomoe were watching with horror.

"Wait, why has it ended?! What happened to her?!" screamed Sonic. He didn't want his last image of Blaze to be her possible grave. Tomoe placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I think everything will be fine, Sonic" she whispered. Sonic turned to her, panic across his face.

"How do you know?!" he replied angrily. Tomoe looked towards the sphere.

"She's got something planned, I can feel it. Besides, there was something strange about that image of Blaze in the water…"

"What would that be then?" he asked, not in the mood for speculation.

"…I feel like I should be there in her place"

* * *

"You've made yourself an enemy of the Kingdom of Amara!" yelled Menace. The water had come up to Blaze's chest.

"If that's the case, then you've made a mistake!" she said rebelliously. Blaze gripped the capsule, ready to push the button.

"Sorry, a mistake?" asked Menace, confused and amused by her continued aggression.

"Oh yeah, a massive mistake. In your life there will always be one person you should never meet. A person who will oppose you no matter what. The one person who you secretly fear every waking hour of your life…The person who is your living nightmare…" she growled.

"And who would this person be then?" asked Menace, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Blaze continued to glare at them, the water now up to her neck. A small devilish grin appeared on her face and her thumb rested neatly on the capsule.

"…_Me_"

"**DRILL!"**

Pressing her thumb down on the capsule, Blaze was engulfed in a yellow aura and in a flash, transformed into yellow shape. From the back, the shape resembled her head, but from the front, it was a massive yellow drill, spinning wildly. Her eyes were the only remaining feature left, glowing yellow with her pupils absent. Menace watched in shock as Blaze disappeared from view and into the water below. After spinning around in the water for a few seconds, the drill form hit the floor and started to burrow through with ease, casting a bright yellow light in the water and draining the room. Nanael flew back into the room and watched with wonder as 'Blaze' disappeared into the ground.

"So that's what those capsules do. These outsiders are full of surprises. Blaze the Cat, you will make a brilliant contender..." she whispered to herself.

The drill power ceased the second Blaze broke through the ground and she landed on a stone bridge, her fist planted on the stone below her. Inside, she secretly felt dizzy. It was her first time she ever used a wisp power, but it wasn't difficult to get a hang of. With water falling to the ground beside her, she looked up to discover she wasn't alone. Leina had managed to catch up to her and aimed her sword directly at her neck. Blaze remained fearless.

"Well what are you waiting for, Leina? That's your name, don't you remember? You wanted to become a warrior like your mother. If you are a warrior then you would have killed me. Or is there some part of you that still sees me as your friend?" she asked. Leina's frown subsided slightly as Blaze's words sank in, but it wasn't enough to shake her trance.

"Would you stop lecturing her? If you continue talking to her like that, she won't know who she is" spoke Menace from behind her. Blaze turned to her, initially aggressive. However she closely examined Menace's clothing and after a brief second, Blaze did what she almost never did. An action that she would consider so unlike her that she'd think she was possessed herself.

She started to laugh. Hard. Clutching her stomach, Blaze stood up and faced Menace, still laughing. Menace frowned.

"Is there something you find funny?" she asked aggressively. Blaze toned down her hilarity, but continued giggling, tears streaming down her face.

"It's nothing! Just…my god! You look like you belong less on a throne and more in a gentlemen's club!" she cried, still shaking with amusement.

"Are you mocking me, feline?!"

"Oh no! Not at all…Pfft, yes!" she blurted out, wiping her damp cheeks. Blaze regained her composure and faced her enemy, trying to suppress her amused smile. "Aah…so, you must be the spectre, correct?"

"What do you mean, the spectre? You speak to the Princess of Amara! My name is Menace!" she yelled. Blaze frowned, crossing her arms.

"And you speak to Princess Blaze the Cat of the Sol Dimension. I think we're on equal grounds, don't you think?" she replied. Setra flew out of Menace's hands and towards her.

"Ah! So you finally reveal your name!" he yelled happily. Blaze stared him down, unsure of how to react.

"Come any closer and I'll burn you to a crisp. I'm already angry, that laughter was just a little breakout moment" she hissed. Setra backed away, suddenly fearful of her, but still remained longing.

"Another princess, huh? You certainly don't dress like one" she added. Blaze scrunched up her face, hardly comprehending her statement.

"I'm not even going to go there. So why is Leina under a trance then?"

"She's is one of my obedient servants. She works for me"

"There is a difference between servant and slave. I think you've crossed it" she replied. "If you're a princess, then where is your kingdom?"

"Fool, this is my kingdom" she replied, motioning around her.

"…What, these ruins?"

"One thousand years ago, Amara stood proud as one of the most beloved kingdoms of this world. The people loved me just as much, and I had plenty of people ready to act to my will. My reign was unfortunately cut short when I was betrayed by one of my most…loyal members" she paused, thinking deeply. "After 1000 years, I was resurrected and my sole reason for living is to bring Amara back with me" she explained. Blaze listened carefully, and judged her. There was something she wasn't telling her. "So please, join me and become another one of my obedient servants. I won't ask again"

At that moment, Leina aimed her sword at Blaze's back, ready to stab her if she didn't comply. Blaze got ready to move quickly if she had to. "Unfortunately for you, Menace I don't believe in such barbaric ways of commanding people. You expect to people to obey you because you want them to? I've got news for you, people share connections, and those connections are not through power, but through will and the mind. Just like I share a connection with Tomoe and like Leina does with Sonic!" she said loudly. Behind her, she heard an audible reaction from Leina. Blaze turned to face her, staring into her soulless, but remembering eyes. "You know those names, don't you Leina?" she asked. Menace could see what she was planning.

"Disregard her words, servant! Kill her!" she commanded, but Leina did not strike, she listened instead.

"Lady Tomoe from Hinomoto, you remember her, right? She's walking the landscape to participate in the Queen's Blade tournament. Want to know who is with her? Sonic! The same hedgehog who freed you from you seclusion!" she yelled. Leina opened her mouth to speak.

"S-Sonic…" she whispered. Blaze smiled.

"That's right! C'mon Leina, surely you remember Sonic. You're connected to him, he gave you power, and now it's time to use it!" she yelled triumphantly. Leina's eyes began to glow once more as she spoke.

"Tomoe…" the names came back to her one by one. Images of her escape from Vance Castle, fighting Eggman, sitting with Tomoe back at Adstir, Echidna and most importantly, Claudette flooded her mind as golden energy flowed from her head and arms. "…Blaze!" she shrieked, finally addressing her. Leina closed her eyes and clutched her head, grimacing in agony. "Get out of my head!" she screamed. With one final yell, Leina threw her arms to her sides and forced her head upwards as golden energy streamed violently out of her body. A distinct sound of thunder filled the air and ghostly spirits shot out of Leina's body, turning to dust.

"This will not be permitted!" shouted Menace, casting her arm towards Blaze. Her wrappings shot forward and attempted to bind themselves around her. To Menace's dismay, the wrappings burned away to a cinder. Blaze turned to her, still angry.

"Like I said Menace. There is always that one person" she said aggressively. The ground below her suddenly started to give way, weakened by the energy flowing from Leina's body. Unable to do anything, Blaze and the still-burning Leina fell into the dark abyss below and out of sight. Menace looked down, slightly hurt.

"Well, looks like that one person is no longer part of my life" she murmured. "Come, Se-Setra? Where did you go?" she asked aloud. Her faithful companion had disappeared without a word. Tired, Menace made her way back to her chamber, hoping to find him there.

* * *

"C'mon you beautiful thing, wake up!" yelled Setra, inches away from Blaze's face. She lay on a bed of soft sand which broke her fall. Leina lay beside her, energy still seeping from her arms and head, though not as violently. Setra softly prodded Blaze's side with his 'tail' in a bid to get her to wake up. Finally, Blaze opened her eyes, face to face with the grinning scepter. In an instant, she kicked it away from her, sending him across the dark room with a yell.

"Hey! What was that for?!" he shouted. Blaze shot him suspicious eyes.

"Reflex…" she replied. She turned around and gasped, moving to Leina's side. The energy suddenly ceased with a thunderous clap, leaving Leina's condition ambiguous. Setra joined Blaze at Leina's side, curious to see if she was still possessed. Blaze slapped Leina lightly on the cheek, trying to wake her up. "Come on Leina, I didn't come this far for you to die now" she pleaded. Leina slowly opened her eyes which returned to life. Her vision adjusted, recognizing the person in front of her, but not where she was.

"B-Blaze? Is that you?" she asked. Blaze gave her a warm smile.

"In the flesh" she replied, helping her to sit up.

"Where am I?" she asked, looking around. She took note of the flying scepter, raising a brow at him.

"You're in the Kingdom of Amara. I suppose your trance has been lifted" he replied. Leina was trying to take it all in.

"Trance? What trance?" she asked.

"Princess Menace had you thinking you were some kind of servant. Luckily your mind seems stronger than that. Heh, you were forced to fight me" answered Blaze. Leina reacted with confusion.

"I don't remember that…"

"Well, your connection with Sonic must be stronger than I thought if your quoting him" she said.

"I was?!"

"Yep, one of the lines you said while we fought was the same thing that Sonic said to me years ago" said Blaze.

"How? I know nothing about Sonic's past…"

"Maybe there is something to you, Leina. There has to be some definite link…On a side note, if your connection with Sonic is this strong, then I wonder how Tomoe is getting on" added Blaze. She wondered if somewhere, Tomoe was quoting her. Setra interrupted.

"Are you both done?" he asked. Blaze turned to him with a frown.

"Maybe you could make yourself useful, specter" she said. Blaze raised her hand, emitting a flame. The room lit up, revealing hieroglyphs all over the walls. Blaze and Leina looked at them, not sure what to make of them. "Tell me about these drawings then"

"Huh, these are ancient Amaran drawings. Didn't think there would be any left" he said, gazing at the walls

"Don't suppose you could read them for me, could you?" asked Blaze. Setra's smile grew wider.

"Of course, anything for you!" he said obediently. Blaze was almost flattered by him. "It's a story that's about 1000 years old. My mistress, Princess Menace? She was destined to inherit the throne. Above all else, she enjoyed a life a luxury, her days filled with pleasure and satisfaction" he explained. Blaze examined one drawing depicting a woman with short black hair lying with another woman with long grey hair.

"I think I can guess where her pleasure came from" quipped Blaze.

"But tragically, Amara was conquered by an enemy nation, thanks to the betrayal of her most trusted court attendant, Anarista" he continued. Blaze guessed Anarista was the other woman in the drawing. "The kingdom fell apart, and Menace was murdered in the process" he finished. Blaze thought long and hard about his story. "She was recently resurrected however, and has been trying to rebuild Amara ever since"

"Blaze, what are you thinking about?" asked Leina. Blaze remained silent for a minute, still wondering why Amara fell. Then it hit her.

"What's your name?" asked Blaze, directed at the living scepter.

"It's Setra, your majesty" he replied. Leina perked up.

"Your majesty?"

"Yeah, don't you know? Blaze is a princess"

"She's a what?!" she yelled.

"Enough, Setra. I'm not a fan of being called that. Could you do me a favor and take me to your mistress? I'd like a word…" asked Blaze. Setra nodded happily.

"Of course, Lady Blaze! Follow me!" he replied, and flew to the doorway. Blaze helped Leina to her feet. She suddenly gagged violently.

"Leina, are you alright?" asked Blaze. Blaze held her mouth shut as hard as she could, and eventually exhaled. To her surprise, she kept more Chaos Energy leaving her system, managing to swallow it down

"I'm fine. Let's just get going, shall we?" she sighed. Blaze nodded and without another word, they left the room, following Setra.

Little did Blaze know that Nanael had returned to find her. By the time she squeezed through the hole she made in the floor, Blaze and Leina had already fallen. Now she was alone, stalking the corridors.

"Come on Nanael, keep it together. Blaze has to be around her somewhere…" she whined to herself, trying not to let herself be scared, which was easier said than done.

Eventually Blaze, Leina and Setra reached the end of long corridors, walking towards a brightly lit room. "The Princess's chamber is just up ahead" informed Setra.

"I must say, you're very useful, Setra" replied Blaze. Setra chuckled happily.

"I can provide extra services if you wish, Lady Blaze" he said perversely. Blaze shook her head disappointed.

"That kind of behaviour will get you nowhere. Just letting you know" she muttered. In a trio, the 3 stepped into the massive chamber where Leina was once. At the center was that very platform where she was first put in a trance. On it stood Menace, who seemed less than enthralled to see Blaze again.

"Princess Blaze. So you and the traitor survived after all. I suppose I can use this opportunity to offer you both one last chance to live under my rule" she asked. Her passive tone had long since died away. Leina stared at her choice of wardrobe.

"A ruler dressed like that?" she asked.

"Yeah, don't ask" said Blaze. She was still trying to get over it. Setra flew up to his original mistress.

"I'm not sure if I should reward or punish you for bringing them to me" said Menace. If Setra had shoulders, he'd shrug.

"They asked to come, so who am I to deny?" he replied.

"It doesn't matter, you'll both pay for the trouble you've caused me. You're both traitors, just like Anarista!" she shouted. Blaze stepped forward, taking note of the two emeralds sitting on a platform beside Menace. She waited for the right moment to steal them back.

"Yes, because Anarista was in the wrong, wasn't she? It wasn't as if it was the fault of the royalty that Amara fell" she said, dripping with sarcasm. Menace narrowed her eyes, her expression turning rage-filled.

"What did you just say to me?" she growled. Blaze could see her anger.

"Oh, did I hit a nerve? It seems obvious to me why Amara fell" she said. Leina looked towards her, trying to read her thoughts.

"_Enlighten me_" said Menace, her rage growing.

"Look at this way. You lived a life of a princess. A princess in a fairy tale! There is more to being a ruler than just living a life of pleasure. You need to observe the world around you! If you don't then people decide to wander off, become interested elsewhere. Maybe they decide to sell out to the highest bidder, like an enemy nation!" she explained. Menace grew more and more angry with every moment.

"Your words are meaningless. A ruler should be obeyed by her subjects until the very end, no matter what happens" she declared. Blaze looked thoughtful for a moment.

"…Wrong" she replied, "A ruler's subjects need a reason to stay by their side. If they have nothing, then why should they? Why should they obey a woman who deep down doesn't care?!" she shouted. "You call yourself a princess?! I call you a self-entitled brat!"

"YOU WILL BE SILENT!" Menace's screams echoed around them several times. Blaze stared directly into Menace's eyes.

"_Make me_" she dared. A ghastly aura surrounded Menace as her anger reached her peak. Setra hovered around her in a panic, trying to assure her.

"M'lady! You need to calm down!" he begged, but to no avail.

"I'm to blame, am I? You think I'm the cause of the destruction of an entire empire! I'll NEVER admit to that!" she yelled, starting to breakdown. "Everyone should bow down before me, right now! Bow down immediately! I command you!" The same spirits which possessed Leina flew around wildly as Menace lost control of her power. The rooms began to shake violently and soon bricks came tumbling down to the ground. Water started to spill into the room, just like before. The shaking caused the emeralds to fall from the platform, falling towards them. Blaze quickly grabbed them.

"Now what do we do?!" shouted Leina, panicking.

"Basically? Run!" ordered Blaze. They both made a bolt for the door as water chased them down the corridors. Blindly, they ran left and right through the stone walls, not knowing where they would go.

"Know the way out?" asked Leina, running for life.

"Nope! Now I wish I kept that drill wisp!" replied Blaze. The two narrowly dodged falling debris and other water leaks. In her running, Blaze crashed right into Nanael, causing them to topple to the ground.

"Nanael?! What are you doing here? I told you to run!" asked Blaze.

"I came back to find you! I wasn't going to leave you alone to die!" she answered. "What do we do now?" Blaze looked towards the incoming wave of water, and decided that there was nothing they could do to outrun it.

"Take a deep breath and hold it" she said solemnly. Without a word of protest, the three prepared for the worst as the water stampeded towards them, engulfing them in an instant and sweeping them away. The structure continued to crumble, bricks falling into deep bodies of water and entire rooms folding in on themselves. The pyramid itself began to level, falling into a heap of dust and stone, with not a single soul left emerging before it fell. The Kingdom of Amara fell once more before it even began.

* * *

In heaven, the angels flew around in the sky, buzzing with excitement over the outsiders and their actions. Many spoke lowly of Nanael due to her "duels" but most seemed more occupied with the blue hedgehog and the purple cat. The Head Angel sat attentively at her throne. In front of her were the hovering images of past events. Hachiel hovered by her side, looking at them. She saw the image of the blue hedgehog running with a metal woman in his arms, then the purple cat with a warrior priestess, facing a frog-like creature. More images appeared including the four in a group facing a metallic monster. The final image was of the purple cat and Nanael, walking towards the Amaran ruins. The Head Angel sighed with contempt.

"Is there something matter?" asked Hachiel. The Head Angel decided that she best know fully what was going on, though she was unsure herself.

"Our world has a set timeline. Certain things happen to certain people, defining who they are. These outsiders though, they have intervened in certain events, changing how events play out. For a start, the cat and Nanael should not have been the ones going to the lost civilization of Amara, someone else should have been in their place" she said. Hachiel wondered when Nanael would return to heaven to explain her actions and the identities of these mysterious beings.


End file.
